Pushing Clay, an Arts Council Nelson and Forsyth Barr supported exhibition at the Refinery ArtSpace, Nelson, New Zealand. Open: 27 Sept-19 Oct 2024
“For the winning piece – this piece has the courage of its convictions. It has at its core a process of experimentation, and technically this is sophisticated in its realisation. It travelled a long distance – it arrived where it was meaning to go. The use of the FeCrAl hand coil wire as the base structure enabled an incredibly dynamic form to be realised, combined with the textural qualities of the ceramic porcelain paper clay. The result is a piece that feels coherent but also hums with energy due to its formal intensity and its focus on dualities of life and death, living and not living. We kept circling back to this work, not just because it was brilliant yellow. It had a life force that was compelling.
Graham Hay – Double chamber: Mortal Coil series.”
copy of extract speech written by emailed from the Judges.
Heather Galbraith is a contemporary art curator, writer, and Professor of Fine Arts, College of Creative Arts Toi Rauwhārangi in Te Whanganui-a-Tara/Wellington. She makes exhibitions, writes about art, and is regularly invited to sit on advisory boards and selection committees.
Aaron Scythe, New Zealand born and based ceramic artist, trained in New Zealand, Australia and Japan. Studio practice in Japan for 17 years until the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. Member of the International Academy of Ceramics.
Exhibition Selectors:
Josephine Cachemaille has won several significant national art awards and had multiple solo and public exhibitions nationally and internationally, including representing New Zealand at the Beijing Biennale 2019. Josephine has a post graduate diploma in Fine Art and a degree in Psychology. She lives in Whakatū Nelson with her husband, music journalist Grant Smithies.
Gill Starling is the co-owner and director of Quiet Dog Gallery in Nelson: a dealer gallery that specialises in fine art by local and national artists.
Thomas Baker is an artist primarily working in clay. After achieving his bachelor of fine arts (hons) from Wellington Massey university, Thomas studied ceramics under Seppou Iida at Hokutoh studio in Japan. Currently residing in Nelson, he co-owns Kiln a ceramic studio and ceramics gallery, Hot Clay.
Heather Galbraith is a contemporary art curator, writer, and Professor of Fine Arts, College of Creative Arts Toi Rauwhārangi in Te Whanganui-a-Tara/Wellington. She makes exhibitions, writes about art, and is regularly invited to sit on advisory boards and selection committees.
Aaron Scythe, New Zealand born and based ceramic artist, trained in New Zealand, Australia and Japan. Studio practice in Japan for 17 years until the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. Member of the International Academy of Ceramics.
Exhibition Selectors:
Josephine Cachemaille has won several significant national art awards and had multiple solo and public exhibitions nationally and internationally, including representing New Zealand at the Beijing Biennale 2019. Josephine has a post graduate diploma in Fine Art and a degree in Psychology. She lives in Whakatū Nelson with her husband, music journalist Grant Smithies.
Gill Starling is the co-owner and director of Quiet Dog Gallery in Nelson: a dealer gallery that specialises in fine art by local and national artists.
Thomas Baker is an artist primarily working in clay. After achieving his bachelor of fine arts (hons) from Wellington Massey university, Thomas studied ceramics under Seppou Iida at Hokutoh studio in Japan. Currently residing in Nelson, he co-owns Kiln a ceramic studio and ceramics gallery, Hot Clay.