Life Interrupted by Bari Precious

Life Interrupted

A collection of sculptural and functional ceramic work by Bari Precious

June 12 - 27, 2025, gallery open Tuesdays to Saturdays, 11 AM - 5 PM

Opening reception/Meet the Artist: Thursday June 12, 7 PM - 9 PM

115 Chapel St. Downtown Nanaimo BC

Bari Precious’s artistic journey has been shaped as much by clay as by the interruptions that life handed her. Beginning her creative path in Richmond, BC, she studied sculpture at the Vancouver School of Art (Emily Carr University), not yet realizing that clay would one day become her most powerful language.

After years of traveling, raising a family, and completing her degree later in life, Bari built a thriving pottery business in Missouri—doing over 20 shows a year and supplying galleries across the country. But the call to return home to Canada was strong. In 2017, she packed her personal belongings and half of her studio, crossed the border, and began again.

Back on the West Coast, life shifted. Her focus turned to teaching, exploring new techniques and styles. But profound losses—including the deaths of her mother, sister, son, and niece—forced her to step away from clay. These heartbreaks reshaped her spirit, challenging her to rediscover meaning in her work.

Life Interrupted is the culmination of that rediscovery. These works of art speak to grief, resilience, protest, absurdity, and joy. The centerpiece—a split heart—holds stories of environmental resistance, lost loved ones, and the healing act of creation. In it, a tiny figure of Bari throws a pot.

This show is not just about ceramics. It’s about finding your way back to yourself—through grief, through love, through clay.