Canada’s Prime Minister Receives ‘Norma Harrack’ Pottery from People of Jamaica

A ceramic bowl created by leading Jamaican potter, Norma Rodney Harrack, was presented to the Prime Minister of Canada, the Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper from the Government and People of Jamaica yesterday (April 21). The Canadian Prime Minister left the island on April 21, ending a two-day working visit which saw Jamaica and Canada signing a Memorandum of Understanding for the Justice Undertakings for Social Transformation (JUST) Programme that will improve the effectiveness of the justice system.
The earthenware piece, which is done in the tradition of a water vessel, is approximately six inches in diameter and of almost equal height. Harrack’s delight in glazes is evident in the verdigris hue, and her mastery of surface embellishment represents the foliage of Jamaica’s tropical forests.
The deeper blue on the inner surface of the bowl completes the theme evoking a mountain pool and showcasing the natural history of Jamaica.
Norma Harrack is the recipient of the Silver Musgrave medal by the Institute of Jamaica. Her work has been exhibited in several countries, including the Burlington Art Centre in Ontario, Canada. She was trained by the father of Jamaican pottery, Cecil Baugh, and is herself a teacher of the craft at the Edna Manley College.