Sometimes it is hard to pinpoint a 'flavor' of the ceramics a particular country. Australian ceramics are known world-wide for their ruggedness as well as their sophistication and all the shades in between. The gamut of Australian ceramics ranges from chunky raku to paper thin porcelain and so many other techniques and styles in between.
Natural looking colors and surfaces are achieved by such artists as Barry Hayes, with his pit-fired vessels, Salvatori Lolicato with his Raku sculpture or Gail Nichols with her soda-fired pots.
Alan Peascod is an Australian ceramic artist who has been working in the medium for many years. Well-known for his reduction lustre, his interests ly in Islamic art and culture, an interest that has been rflected in his works, many of which show an Islamic influence.
Pamela Irving works with earthenware, glazes and onglazes, creating partly whimsical commentaries on Australian culture and often appropriating icons of Australian history such as Ned Kelly. Her now infamous sculpture 'Larry the Dog' (it was stolen and had to be replaced) adorns the Melbourne City Square.
Pilar Rojas is a Spanish born artist now living in Australia. Her large format unglazed sculptures have won her numerous awards and competitions, including the 1997 CerCon Award.
Also unglazed, but of a much thinner and lighter nature are Andrea Hylands bone china sculptures. Andrea slipcasts bone china, sometimes making vessels, which are then bightly painted with onglazes, sometimes casts components, which are combined into sculptural objects.
Australian ceramic artists are also known for their glaze research. One artist leading in this field is Greg Daly, who not only formulates his own glazes, but has perfected the technique of combining and melding different glazes. His functional, sometimes oversize works are often rounded off with lustres.
Of course this is only a selection of some of the best Australian ceramic artists online. Many others which deserve a mention here cannot be accomodated due to space restrictions. But you can check out more australian arttists as well as instituions and other Australian sites at the Web sites by Geographic Location Page!