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Danlami Aliyu
throwing at his workshop in Minna, Nigeria
Danlami initially started potting at the Pottery Training
Centre, Abuja, Nigeria in 1966 a year after Michael Cardew had
returned to England. There he learnt from Ladi Kwali
and Bawa Ushafa, the senior potters at the time, and his work was so good
that he was recommended to Michael Cardew, who agreed to invite him to study
with him for a year at Wenford Bridge. Cardew thought highly of
Danlami's work and when he left for a three year Ceramics course at Farnham,
persuaded the Commonwealth Institute in London to give him a solo exhibition.
After Farnham, Danlami returned to Nigeria and now runs a pottery in his
hometown of Minna.
His work in this exhibition was made in England during a short visit towards the
end of last year.
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Michael O'Brien at
his previous Harlequin Gallery exhibition in 1999
Michael O'Brien, who was born in 1930, initially started
his artistic life as a painter but decided that he wished to take up pottery
in the early 1960's. He traveled out to Abuja in Nigeria to study pottery under Michael
Cardew because he thought that Cardew was the best available teacher at that
time and learnt from him for two years. When Cardew retired in 1965, Michael
was asked by the authorities to take over the running of the Pottery Training
Centre, which he did for seven years.
Since then Michael has spent a good deal of his time in Nigeria. He has lectured in Ceramics at
the Ahmadu Bello University in Zaira and set up a pottery
with Danlami at Maraba, which is now run by Danlami's brother. He returned
from Nigeria this summer where he is helping
another colleague from Maraba to establish a pottery at Bwari near to Abuja, which will hopefully become a
worthwhile development.
The work by Michael in the exhibition has been made since
his return to this country in June.
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