'Sea star' — Amy Leeworthy

Artist Statement

I am an artist and designer working in a variety of mediums, with ceramics being my primary focus. Throughout the years, my work has straddled a line between sculptural and functional, and I continue to enjoy creating utilitarian objects and pieces that serve primarily as art objects, and some that fall in between. I employ wheel throwing, hand building, and hand-painting techniques in my work. My process is largely hands-on and intuitive, particularly in the initial stages. The initial stages are what I am addicted to - the physical experience. Centering a lump of clay requires my entire body and complete concentration. Everything else fades away by necessity.

Theme: SCAPE

Having grown up in the Red Hill and Main Ridge area, the sensation of playing in the iconic red clay is one of my early memories. I often wonder if that is why working with clay has such a hold over me as an adult - a slippery portal back to childhood. For this exhibition I experimented with a variety of mid-fire clays, incorporating local elements such as granite and beeswax. The pieces reference familiar local forms as well as imagined forms that could have come from somewhere far away.

— Amy Leeworthy, McCrae