Ngā mihi to all those who Joined us for an innovative clay workshop on the 15th, where participants explored the intersection of abstraction and function in ceramics.

As participants embarked on this journey, they used clay to shape simple drinking vessels or vases, honing techniques while delving into abstraction. Through twists, cuts, and rolls, they evolved their concepts, blurring the line between form and function. They decided where to draw this line.

This workshop, perfectly timed with the beginning of our Matariki programming, aligned with the ethos of working 'with the earth.' In recognition of this special time, the workshop cost was a suggested donation.

Whether participants were beginners or had prior experience, our experienced teacher provided personalised guidance and encouragement. They joined us as we embarked on this creative journey, where art and tradition intersected in harmony.

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Debbie Barber | b.1972 BFA, Canterbury University | Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha

What if the thoroughfare of memory has holes and continually moves around without knowing where to settle? How does this affect one’s identity when the interlaced path of our whakapapa is without context and the stories we are born into and with are uncertain traces of our past? How do you move forward into the future with a past that doesn’t remember the way? 64 Embedded in the discipline of domesticware, the clay’s spoil create a ceramic vocabulary. These chance forms describe the space between the potter and the pot. Much like when someone has dementia, it leaves a trace of what was, in the hope of finding some understanding, surpassing the desired outcome, and instead recreating an alternative purpose. 55 Debbie’s creative process centres around the materiality of clay.. Influenced by her mum’s journey with dementia and grounded in a reflective practice considering time, memory and relationships, Debbie’s textural sculptures explore connections between philosophical writings and clay. Currently living in Tāmaki Makaurau, Debbie began establishing her own art practice in 2019 influenced by her mum’s journey with dementia and grounded in a reflective practice considering identity, time and memory.