Ceramics from across that wee little Pond

When Cheryl and Charlie Dimont decided they needed a career change (she had been a set designer, he a music exec), they looked to their shared passion: contemporary British ceramics. The result is Clay, an airy new bi-level gallery in Venice featuring the work of nearly 30 artists living and working in Britain -- some up-and-comers, many well established. For example, Robert Dawson, an American living in London who is best known for his large-scale architectural installations, has created a group of 11 dinner plates that riff on the classic 19th century blue and white Willow pattern. The plates are available individually ($125) or as a set. Susan Nemeth’s multicolored porcelain bowls and vases ($135 to $800), in soft tones such as sea foam and butter yellow, with a glass-like liquid quality, and Takeshi Yasuda’s spiral vessels ($2,250 each), like living organisms imbued with movement, are among the other highlights.

In the future, the Dimonts, who lived in London through most of the ‘90s but now call Los Angeles home, might expand beyond U.K. artists. But, says Cheryl, “we had to start with what we know.”

Clay, 226 Main St., Venice; (310) 399-1416.