The Bird Boy Who Dreamt of Crocodiles

Artist Statement: I have been an obsessive maker of things for as long as I can remember.

I love the way that the seed of an idea forms and then takes shape outwardly as a drawing or an object made from clay. I derive great pleasure from remaining open to how a concept might develop and enjoy the elements of play and experimentation that often emerge out of the process.

My motivation for making originates from the place where my inner world of dreams, thoughts, emotion and imagination intersect with the outside world of physicality, experience and sensation; creating things is a way for me to make sense of both worlds. Also, If I don’t make anything for a while I get very grumpy.

My favourite modes for expression include illustration and ceramics. Clay, especially, is a material I constantly return to, and never grow tired of its endless possibilities. 

My journey with clay has involved making functional work; both hand-built and thrown on the wheel, and more recently hand-built collectable sculptural objects.

Year: 2023

Dimensions: 95mm (w) x 245mm (d) x 210mm (h)

Medium: Lumina mid fire porcelain, underglaze, glaze

I was born in Australia, but left to visit South Africa at 18, where in my 20's I completed fine arts training with a specialisation in ceramics.

After graduating I supported myself for the next 14 years selling my work through galleries and at craft markets in Durban. My creative work developed during this time to include running a hand painted T shirt business as well as exploring the potential of polymer clay while working as a designer at a polymer clay product producer in Durban. Upon returning to Australia I have lived in and sold my work in Brisbane and Melbourne, mostly through craft markets. In Melbourne I studied animation at the Victorian College of the Arts School of Film and Television, where I indulged my interest in stop motion animation and made a short film. Also, while in Melbourne I taught wheel throwing classes in ceramics at Northcote Pottery Supplies. Concurrent to teaching ceramics I also completed a counselling degree, which while having never actually worked as a counsellor, the psychological insights gained through study have informed many of the themes in my ceramics practice.

I currently live in a small Tasmanian town where I work part time in special education and spend the rest of the week making ceramics, drinking too much coffee and listening to and  playing music.