With ancient mythology back in the cultural spotlight following The Odyssey’s box office success, a new exhibition at the Royal Kennel Club Art Gallery is exploring the history and human relationships that have shaped the identities of our dog breeds.
‘Cultured Canines’, opening at the Royal Kennel Club Art Gallery in London on 30 September brings together a capsule exhibition featuring 12 ceramic works and drawings by contemporary artist Allison Ksiazkiewicz, inspired by the ceramics of the ancient Mediterranean world and the cultural meaning attached to twelve different dog breeds.
From the ancient world to modern Britain, the exhibition explores the many ways dogs have become intertwined with human history as companions, working animals, symbols of status and figures within the stories and cultures of the people who lived alongside them.
The twelve different dog breeds include the Chihuahua, Saluki, King Charles Spaniel, Newfoundland, Norwegian Lundehund and Skye Terrier, a British vulnerable native breed which originated in Scotland.
Allison combines ancient ceramic techniques and manufacturing processes with original contemporary designs.
Each piece is named after a person who was influential to that breed of dog historically, with their story told across the surface of each distinctive Attic-style ceramic vessel.
Allison Ksiazkiewicz said: “Our companionship with dogs has a long and winding history. While scientists date the earliest known co-burial of human and canine to 15,000 years ago, evidence also suggests the existence of a cross-species relationship beginning some 17,000 years previous, when the wolf and dog separated genetically. Modern dog breeds are defined by their specific historical and contemporary human-canine relationships. Cultured Canines encourages us to consider how the histories and lives of animals are perceived, and to appreciate the actual and imagined roles animals play in our lives.”
Ciara Farrell, Culture and Heritage Manager at the Royal Kennel Club, said: "The return of The Odyssey has reminded us how deeply ancient stories continue to shape our culture, and dogs have been part of those stories and traditions for centuries, from the faithful Argos in The Odyssey to countless works of art throughout history.
"We love how ’Cultured Canines’ explores this enduring relationship from a different perspective, looking at the individual histories and cultural identities that have developed around several very different breeds of dogs. It is a rare and fascinating opportunity to see how the stories we tell about dogs have evolved over time, while celebrating the remarkable place they continue to hold in our lives and culture.”
Ksiazkiewicz’s practice is inspired by natural history, archaeology and landscape to explore the ways we connect to each other and the natural world.
Ksiazkiewicz has exhibited work in the UK and across Canada, including at the Museum of Classical Archaeology (Cambridge), Ashmolean Museum (Oxford) and Open Studio (Toronto).
The Cultured Canines exhibition will run from 30 September 2026 to 31 March 2027 at the Royal Kennel Club Art Gallery in Mayfair, London.
The gallery is open Monday to Friday, from 9.30am to 4.30pm, by appointment. To book a visit, please email artgallery@royalkennelclub.com.
A brochure on the exhibition is available here: Cultured Canines booklet