Expressions in Blue is a solo exhibition of monumental sculptural works in porcelain, painted in tones of rich cobalt blue oxide using expressive brushstrokes full of movement. These hand-thrown ceramic vessels and stacked monoliths stand up to an impressive five-metres high and have a powerful sculptural presence.

Shown together in The Weston Gallery and outdoors at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, the organic energy of their surfaces and their forest-like presentation will resonate with the forms and rhythms of the 18th-century landscape beyond.

Exhibiting my monumental porcelain vessels at Yorkshire Sculpture Park is an incredible opportunity. I am excited to see them come alive against the rich backdrop of rolling countryside in one of the best places to show sculpture in Britain.

Alongside seven vast porcelain works and a range of smaller pieces in the gallery, and two towering obelisks outdoors, visitors will see photographs and a film that reveal the remarkable making process and its physicality.

Also on display will be a selection from Aylieff’s extensive range of fascinating mark-making tools, including giant horsehair brushes used to whip around the vessels and create energetic flicks and splashes.

Being surrounded by Aylieff’s imposing ceramic vessels is an invigorating and moving experience. Their scale and technical ingenuity are breathtaking, and you get lost in the richness and vitality of their surfaces. The artist’s mark-making echoes the energy of the natural world, and her practice expands our understanding of the sculptural potential of ceramics, making the work feel perfectly placed at YSP.

Painting the vessels is said to be a "spontaneous, performative act that engages the artist’s whole body and brings energy to their surfaces, which she sees as canvasses for her artistic expression".

In monochromatic shades of grey when applied, the cobalt oxides transform in the kiln into deep and vibrant blues. Aylieff was drawn to cobalt not only for its luminosity but for its significance in the history of Chinese ceramics. Using the classic blue and white of Chinese porcelain, she synthesises old and new, a reinterpretation that she describes as ‘new Ming’. Works such as Blue: Triple Form (2023) are painted with large brushes in bold and fluid swathes, built up layer on layer to give depth, with bold gestural marks bringing movement across the form.

The installation can be seen at The Yorkshire Sculpture Park from Saturday 5th April until Sunday 14th September 2025. More details can be found here.