British 1911-2004

Incised Pot n.d.
Thrown and glazed clay
13.5 x 12
Gift of Helen Luy and Ann West

Leonard “Ossie” Osborne’s technical training in ceramics bolstered a modernist style previously absent in Victoria. Originally trained as an engineer, he and his wife Mary both studied art at the University of British Columbia and in California with Marguerite Wildenhain who was one of the first pottery students at the German Bauhaus in 1919. Their characteristic contrasting sgrafitto lines and black gaze enhanced the simple and functional design of their clay pots. Retiring to Victoria in 1960, they were the first in a wave of new potters on Vancouver Island at the cusp of a widespread popularity in pottery-making and modern design. The Osborne’s ceramics were featured in national and international exhibitions in Montreal, Brussels, and Paris.