Canberra Potters’ annual Student Teacher Exhibition is a vibrant showcase of work created by our dedicated students and inspiring teaching artists. This much-loved exhibition highlights the diversity of ceramic practice taught and nurtured in our studios — from handbuilding and wheel throwing to surface design and sculptural exploration.
Spanning a range of experience levels, the exhibition reveals the remarkable journey of learning in clay. It’s a space where beginners share their first triumphs, and more experienced students push the boundaries of their creative expression under the guidance of our skilled and generous teaching team.
This exhibition is more than a display – it’s a celebration of shared learning, experimentation, and the creative community that makes Canberra Potters a thriving hub for ceramic arts.
Congratulations to the 2025 Student Teacher Exhibition Winners!
Aaron Scythe is an internationally acclaimed New Zealand ceramic artist, renowned for his bold fusion of Japanese and Western traditions. With a career spanning more than three decades – including over ten years living and working in Japan – Aaron has developed a distinctive style that combines traditional forms with lively, contemporary decoration. His pieces often feature striking painted surfaces, vibrant slips, and innovative firing techniques, making him one of the most recognisable voices in contemporary ceramics.
In June, Canberra Potters was delighted to host a special pop-up exhibition marking the conclusion of Aaron’s 3-month residency with us. During his time here, he created a remarkable body of work, including many pieces fresh from a recent woodfiring at Strathnairn Arts with some of his students.
The exhibition provided our community with a rare opportunity to experience Aaron’s artistry up close. The show was met with great enthusiasm, celebrating not only the stunning new works but also the connections Aaron built during his residency.
ADC on Tour: An Australian Design Centre national touring exhibition
8 May 2025 – 8 June 2025
SIXTY: The Journal of Australian Ceramics 60th Anniversary 1962–2022 is a special ADC On Tour exhibition project presented in partnership with The Australian Ceramics Association to acknowledge this significant anniversary.
The Journal of Australian Ceramics (JAC) has, over its sixty years of print publication, presented the history of ceramics in Australia, in 176 issues and close to 20,000 pages. It has acknowledged the achievements of so many in that time, as well as educating readers on the importance and position of ceramics within Australian art. The JAC has been at the forefront of addressing significant issues of the time and, in turn, is a dynamic source of contemporary history. The ceramic artists selected for this exhibition represent their contemporary peers and those who came before them throughout the history of Australian ceramics. All have a strong and enduring connection to The JAC.
The exhibiting artists are:
Glenn Barkley | Alison Milyika Carroll | Kirsten Coelho | Greg Daly | Pippin Drysdale | Dan Elborne | Penny Evans | Honor Freeman | Susan Frost | Shannon Garson | Patsy Hely | Jeffery Mincham | Damon Moon | David Ray | Ben Richardson | Tania Rollond | Owen Rye | Jane Sawyer | Yul Scarf | Vipoo Srivilasa | Kenji Uranishi | Gerry Wedd
Curated by Anna Grigson and Australian Design Centre’s Lisa Cahill with design by Studio Garbett.
SIXTY The Journal of Australian Ceramics 60th Anniversary 1962-2022 is an Australian Design Centre (ADC On Tour) national touring exhibition, presented with assistance from the Australian Government Visions of Australia program. The Visions of Australia regional exhibition touring program supports audience access to Australian arts and cultural material, with a particular focus on tours to regional and remote Australia. Images via the Australian Design Centre.
Australia’s premier satirical art prize, the Bald Archy Prize, celebrates the lighter side of art and the larrikin Australian spirit, hosting portraits that will make you think, make you talk and most of all make you laugh.
Created in 1994 as a spoof of that more serious competition, the Bald Archy Prize provides artists of all styles and standards with a genuine opportunity to create portrait paintings of humour, dark satire, light comedy or caricature. Known internationally as the only art competition in the world to be judged by a sulphur-crested cockatoo named Maude, the satirical side of this event encapsulates the irreverent, larrikin Australian spirit in a way that appeals to people from all walks of life.
2025 Bald Archy Portrait Prize Winner
Despicable Ploy, by artist Phil Meatchem, was the winner of the 2025 Bald Archy Prize. A Gru-inspired image, Despicable Ploy is a satirical take on Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s proposed nuclear power infrastructure plan.
Mr Meatchem won the $10,000 prize for his painting after it was announced at the Canberra Potters and Watson Arts Centre on Friday 21 March 2025.
2025 Bald Archy winner, Despicable Ploy, by artist Phil Meatchem. Image: Museum of the Riverina.
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History of the Bald Archy
Judged by Professor Maude Cockatoo, the world’s premier avian art critic, the Bald Archy prize gives a genuine opportunity to artists of all styles and standards to create portrait paintings of humour, dark satire, light comedy or caricature. In its’ first year the prize struck a chord with the public and a nerve with the arts establishment.
“It was meant to amuse – apparently a problem with people who believe audible laughter shouldn’t be permitted in an art gallery, let alone unsolicited conversation with a complete stranger” – Peter Batey OAM, 2015
While the Coolac Festival of Fun was retired after 12 years, due to public demand the Bald Archy Prize lives on. After the passing of Peter Batey in 2019, the administration of the Bald Archy Prize was handed over to the Museum of the Riverina, Wagga Wagga. It is now internationally known and has been exhibited across Australia. Winning subjects have included Kerry Packer, Shane Warne, John Howard, Pauline Hanson and myriad other Australian icons.
The Judging
The Bald Archy Prize is currently the only art competition in the world judged by a sulphur crested cockatoo.
With an online PhD from the Marilyn Munro University of Little Rock, Professor Maude Cockatoo is the most qualified art critic, avian or otherwise, in Australia (according to Maude). As Coolac’s Visual Arts Laureate, Maude has been the sole judge of the Bald Archy Prize from its inception at the 1994 Coolac Festival of Fun.
Maude’s number one rule for a prize-winner is that it must be funny. Her idea of humour, according to a 2015 interview includes, “wit, slapstick, satire, vulgarity, farce, black comedy, irreverence and everything else that falls between high and low comedy”. On the other hand, Maude loathes ‘hate portraiture’, or ‘soap box art’ as she calls it.
Hiroe Swen is one of Australia’s most renowned ceramic artists, whose career has spanned more than five decades of innovation, dedication, and artistic excellence. Born in Kyoto and trained in Japan, Hiroe has spent much of her life in Australia, where her artistry and teaching have profoundly shaped the ceramics community in Canberra and beyond. A long-standing Member and teacher at Canberra Potters, she has inspired generations of students while continuing to refine her own distinctive practice. Her contributions have been recognised at the highest levels, with honours from both the Australian and Japanese governments.
Launching Canberra Potters’ 50th anniversary year, Endless Horizons presented a rare opportunity to explore a cross-section of Hiroe’s extraordinary achievements. The exhibition traced her ongoing creative journey, from works shaped by her early experiences in Kyoto to later pieces that transcend cultural boundaries, embodying timeless simplicity, elegance, and the spirit of Ma – the Japanese aesthetic concept of space, balance, and harmony.
The opening event on 9 January 2025 featured an address by architect Catherine Townsend of Townsend + Associates, warmly acknowledging Hiroe’s enduring impact on both ceramics and the Canberra arts community. On 18 January 2025, audiences also had the privilege of hearing Hiroe speak in her Artist Talk, where she shared insights into her creative process and reflected on her remarkable career.
The exhibition was both a celebration and a tribute – honouring Hiroe’s mastery of form and surface, her dedication to teaching, and her immense contribution to ceramics in Australia. For many, it was also one of the final opportunities to collect a piece of her extraordinary legacy.
The Canberra Potters annual Members’ Exhibition is a highlight of our exhibition program and features some of the best work created by our members during the last twelve months.
The Members’ Exhibition presents the inexhaustible breadth of ceramic arts through works using combinations of different clays, making, decorating and firing techniques to create works that are unique in form, texture and colour. Demonstrating the trends in contemporary ceramics practice, this is Canberra’s major ceramic show of the year.
History of The Doug Alexander Memorial Award
Each year since 1990, Canberra Potters have given the Doug Alexander Award to an exceptional potter in our annual Members’ Exhibition. It is presented in celebration and honour of Doug Alexander who was the resident potter at Cuppacumbalong Arts and Craft Centre at Tharwa, from 1976 to 1981 – brought short by his untimely death.
Doug Alexander made a huge contribution to the development of functional ceramics in Australia and, when he moved to Canberra, Doug Alexander’s experience and knowledge gave a fillip to pottery in Canberra. This $2500 cash prize is proudly sponsored by Canberra Potters. Information retrieved from Doug Alexander – A Retrospective.
The Places We Inhabit: Vessels from the Villages is an immersive journey through the rugged and beautiful landscape surrounding the ACT, through the eyes of the artists who live and make there.
In this exhibition of diverse and beautiful ceramics forms, we are invited to share the intimate and individual relationship these artists share with the land of this region. Whether it’s the earthy reds of local clays, the imprints of the non-human world on pure white porcelain, or the distinctive softness of a wood-fired vessel, each piece bears the distinct imprint of the place these artists call home.
Canberra Potters is proud to present 55, an exhibition celebrating 55 years of Malcolm Cooke’s ceramic practice. The exhibition will be on show at Canberra Potters Gallery from 22 August to 22 September 2024, showcasing a compelling selection of Cooke’s work that spans five decades.
55highlights Cooke’s expertise in the art of ceramics, featuring a variety of wheel-thrown, woodfired forms, including bottles, large jars, and platters. Each piece is meticulously crafted, displaying intricate decoration achieved through brush work, stamping, etching, and traditional inlay and carving techniques. Cooke’s works are a testament to his exploration of the interplay between ash, flame, and glaze, resulting in subtle yet striking effects that elevate the decorative elements of his ceramics.
Cooke has spent his career refining his approach to pottery, constantly pushing the boundaries of the medium. This exhibition not only honours his past achievements but also reflects his ongoing commitment to innovation and artistic excellence.
In conjunction with the exhibition, an Artist Talk will be held at 6pm Friday 20 September 2024 at Canberra Potters Gallery, providing attendees with a unique opportunity to hear directly from Malcolm Cooke about his inspirations, techniques, and the stories behind his works.
55 is a must-see for art enthusiasts, collectors, and anyone interested in the evolution of contemporary Australian ceramics.
Collections is a group exhibition by Sue Cant, Julie Roberts, Lynne Thomson and Jo Townsend, exploring the environment and the way we move through life through each artist’s practice.
Exhibition Statement:
Our lives are a tapestry of connections that define us, each thread representing a collection of moments that shape our individual journeys.
In Collections, we contemplate the essence of our existence, exploring the myriad collections that compose the fabric of our lives and our relationship with the environment.
Through ceramics, print, and paint, we delve into the interplay of light, surface, texture, shape, and colour. These artworks invite us to pause and contemplate, encouraging us to reflect on our interactions with the environment.
Each artist brings a distinctive style and perspective to the exhibition drawn from their own individually collected experiences. Together the works form a mosaic that celebrates the richness and diversity of the human experience.
Canberra Potters’ annual Student Teacher Exhibition is a vibrant showcase of work created by our dedicated students and inspiring teaching artists. This much-loved exhibition highlights the diversity of ceramic practice taught and nurtured in our studios — from handbuilding and wheel throwing to surface design and sculptural exploration.
Spanning a range of experience levels, the exhibition reveals the remarkable journey of learning in clay. It’s a space where beginners share their first triumphs, and more experienced students push the boundaries of their creative expression under the guidance of our skilled and generous teaching team.
This exhibition is more than a display – it’s a celebration of shared learning, experimentation, and the creative community that makes Canberra Potters a thriving hub for ceramic arts.
Canberra Potters’ annual Student | Teacher Exhibition is designed to give students a welcoming environment to publicly display their work, participation is open to all students – adults and children – who have attended classes at Canberra Potters in the previous 12 months. Participation is free of charge. Please note: only student exhibits are considered for awards.
Congratulations to the 2024 Student Teacher Exhibition Winners!
