10 Exciting Australian Ceramicists Whose Pieces You Can Shop for Less Than $300
You only need to scroll through Instagram or flip through interior magazines to see ceramics are becoming increasingly popular. Placed on a buffet table or by the bed on a nightstand, they make for the ideal focal point to any shared living space or the perfect accompaniment to your sleep sanctuary. Plus, they’re more versatile than wall art as they only require a flat surface, are easily moveable and are able to create an impact while taking up relatively little space.
The only downside is show-stopping ceramic pieces can leave a heavy dent in your wallet. So, how do you find a piece you love and can actually afford? Keep an eye on local and emerging ceramicists who are creating timeless pieces that have investment potential and will make a stunning addition to any space. Here are 10 Australian ceramicists you should be following - and shopping - now.
10 of the best emerging Australian ceramicists
1. Stephanie Phillips
The Sydney-based ceramicist creates pieces heavily influenced by her two grandmothers - her paternal grandmother was a Russian immigrant and talented artist, while her maternal grandmother was involved in the establishment of The Crommelin Native Arboretum at Pearl Beach, NSW.
Developing a passion for capturing the beauty of the Australian bush and native flora from a young age, her curved vessels have become icons for housing a modern take on Ikebana (the Japanese art of flower arrangement) using driftwood and bromeliads.
While she’s making her mark Down Under, Phillips is slowly taking over the world. Not only was she invited to exhibit her pieces during Paris Design Week in 2019, but French Fashion Designer Jacquemus purchased all her vases from the exhibition for his restaurant Oursin on the Champs Elysees.
Find her on Instagram: @stephanie_phillips_ceramics
2. Natalie Rosin
Sydney-based ceramicist Natalie Rosin is inspired by architectural landscapes, creating vessels and objects in a creamy colour palette in unexpected shapes.
She aims to provide accessible art to like-minded people who appreciate the connection between ceramics and architecture. You can get your hands on her exclusive collaboration with Bed Threads here.
Find her on Instagram: @natrosin
3. Kimberley Cruz
In addition to featuring in a long lineup of interior publications, Cruz is the power woman behind the beautiful clay dinnerware seen on MasterChef Australia.
Each piece tells a different story and captures the beauty of life’s imperfections.
“I allow myself to become vulnerable in the process, exposing a multitude of memories, insecurities, confidence and hope,” she writes on her website. “Through this, I strive to translate uniqueness, raw energy and appreciation of beauty in life’s little imperfections.”
Find her on Instagram: @thepotterxtheclay
4. Sonya Warscher
The founder of Sonraclay draws inspiration from British, Japanese and Scandinavian Mid-Century Potters to create colourful ceramic pieces that exude happiness and joy. Warscher doesn’t just stick to vases, either; she produces jugs, platters, bowls and ornaments, each with their own unique personality.
Find her on Instagram: @son_ra__ceramics
5. Katarina Wells
Based on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, Wells has over 20 years of experience working in ceramics, dipping her expertise into a range of different materials including fine porcelain, paper clay and heavily textured stoneware clays. She draws inspiration from the natural bounty that surrounds her to create hand-built vessels and sculptures, which she slowly “grows” over a period of time.
Find her on Instagram: @katarinawellsceramics
6. Susan Christie
Christie has a wildly interesting backstory. The South Africa-born Brit has called New Zealand home for many years where she began her career in the New Zealand Navy. She then became a psychologist, a mother, a consultant, before enrolling to study Fine Arts at university. A year after graduating, she started Formatics - a functional art practice - which Christie believes directly reflects her aesthetic of combining great form with a playful attitude.
All her products are handmade in New Zealand and available on her site, or you can also shop our exclusive Formantics collaboration with Christie here.
Find her on Instagram: @formantics
7. Chrystie Longworth
Originally trained as a printmaker at Sydney College of the Arts, Longworth has revelled in the beauty of clay for over a decade. Based on the South Coast of NSW, she draws inspiration from the flora and fauna that surrounds her to create wheel-thrown and hand-built pieces. Her earthy-toned pieces evoke a sense of calm and tranquility, making them beautiful additions to any bedroom.
Find her on Instagram: @chystielongworth
8. Sophie Nolan
Sophie Nolan creates curved sculptural vessels that pay homage to unique imperfections, curved and individualism, all in a pared-back minimalist white and pastel colour palette.
For Sophie, her ceramic creations have personalities: "Some have a subtle soft elegant essence, a lightness, a fragility," she told us during her The Makers Home Tour interview. "Others are more flamboyant, sassy, strong, or cute, quirky and fun."
Her one-of-a-kind pieces conjure a sense of movement and lightness - a remarkable achievement considering the heavy clay medium in which she works.
Find her on Instagram: @sophie_ceramics
9. Cassie Hansen
When she’s not working her day job as editor of design magazine Artichoke, Hansen is in the studio creating midfire and stoneware vessels and objects that combine wheel-thrown and hand-built elements.
Located in the historic gold rush town of Victoria’s Macedon Ranges, Kyneton, her work is inspired by her surroundings, various architecture periods and movements, as well as shadows captured in architectural photography.
Only beginning ceramics in 2016, she’s already making a name for herself and was named a finalist in 2020 The Design Files’ Design Awards in the Emerging Designer category.
Find her on Instagram: @cassiehansen_
10. Britt Neech
The Mornington Peninsula-based ceramicist launched project Clae Studio in 2016 to showcase her unique yet timeless pieces. Her playful pieces revolve around art, history, nature and discovery through experimentation, which she hand makes in her Melbourne studio. What we love about Neech’s work is that every single ceramic allows the beautiful natural material of clay to shine.
Find her on Instagram: @clae.studio
Looking for an artwork? Here are 8 emerging Australian artists whose work you can still pick up for less than $1000.
