Perched high in my studio in Golden Point - Wadawurrung country, I overlook landscape in which the scars of colonialism run deep both within the land and its people. Through my practice I seek to explore my place within this landscape as a first-generation migrant and draw parallels between invasive species, colonialism and my own lived experiences within my work.
Returning from and extended hiatus of over from the ceramics in which I extensively explored other mediums my current direction of visual inquiry of large porcelain vessels inlaid with intricate illustrations of botanical species invasive to the region embody my evolving understanding of the dichotic land and society that plays host to my practice.
This work is created using traditional methodologies and materials from my BA education under ceramic masters at Edinburgh College of Art, Scotland. The use of highly technical porcelain vessels as canvas in these works references the industrial production processes and imported European and Chinese materials used during Gold Rush era Ballarat alongside a nod to the rich kaolin mines of Snake Valley.
The works are created on a potter's wheel and take many days to complete, after a delicate balance of manipulating the temperamental porcelain into gravity defying forms the vessels are dried extremely slowly in a controlled environment. As the forms reach the 'leather hard' stage of drying they are coated with a layer of wax and a delicate illustrative process called 'mishima' is applied to the surface. Using a fine needle a complex line drawing of botanical species invasive to the region is carved through the wax. These species hold a symbolic power within my own culture of strength, resilience and connection to land and thus hold a dichotomy of values I seek to understand.
A black underglaze is painted onto the linework and the excess gently wiped away. This inlays the colour into the carved lines leaving them flush with the clay surface of the vessel. The porcelain vessel is then fired to 1000 degrees, the surface is refined and fired again to maturity at 1200 C.
Alongside my own lived-experiences my work is informed heavily by the Ballarat-proud family into which I have married. As migrants from a post-war Europe themselves they established themselves and found financial security through a contemporary gold-rush. Technological developments allowed them to become modern-day prospectors, their finds allowed them to purchase property and become part of the city's history with their 'Eureka Nugget' forming part of the Ballarat Gold Museum's permanent collection. This link to Ballarat's historic past and creative future, echoes that of Ballarat as UNESCO City Of Crafts and Folk Art rationale; a city built on a rich past in a twentieth century exploration of its own story and narrative.
This historical context has formed the most recent development of my work. The same geographical and geological landscape that ignited Ballarat’s explosive gold mining industry 150 odd years ago also holds host to one of the highest quality clay deposits to be found in Australia. Overlooked and underappreciated from a historical context, the industrial and artistic developments possible from employing this highly plastic, fine bodied terracotta clay are manifold.
Inspired by the discovery of this magnificent resource and discovered meters from my studio I have taken a deep dive in to both the historical and artistic revelations this clay body yields, undertaking intense technical and creative experimentation. This powerfully sustainable resource ignites a diversity of exciting pathways of discovery within my arts practice not limited to furthering my arts connection to place, exploring more environmentally friendly methodologies within my studio and educating myself as to the indigenous connection to the earth and best practices around harvesting clay from the local area in a way that is respectful to country and indigenous its Wadawarrung custodians.