Paul O'Connor: 'Where the Wild Boys Are'

When he was a child, Paul O’Connor never wanted to grow up to become an astronaut, firefighter or doctor. He wanted to be a werewolf. In children’s stories, he never idolised the prince, the huntsman or the hero. Rather, he was fascinated by the beasts. Paul has always been drawn to rogues and outsiders, those living life on the edge and forging their own path. In Where the Wild Boys Are, Paul invites us into his world and introduces us to a cast of characters he’s cherished since his earliest years.

His cornucopia of ceramics delights features over 40 new works, including vases, urns, bowls, plates and candlesticks, all emblazoned with notes to pop culture, fantasy and queer iconography. In this body of work, Paul playfully juxtaposes masculine and feminine, wild and domestic, high art and craft. He takes the typically civilised forms of everyday ceramic wares and gives them heads, tails and big dicks. He mixes the ancient and storied medium of clay with stuff from the thrift shop and dollar store. Paul offers us a delicate table setting made wild, beastly and camp; a layered and irreverent homage to the things that shaped him.