SMALLpieces

SMALLpieces is a gallery and retail space within our Brunswick site for contemporary Australian ceramics.

The work in SMALLpieces is from emerging and established practitioners, of high quality and broad price range. Items include jewellery, vessels and sculptures.

Below are some of the artists who have work in our strore.

Visit our blog for updates on new items.

Sandra Bowkett

I have enjoyed exploring the use of porcelain clays, simple hand forming techniques and the use of earth materials to create elementary decorative motifs. The combination of clay and oxide at the high temperature of the firing is evidence of the magic of the ceramic process.

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Dianne Collins

I derive great pleasure in the collaborative process of designing and creating bespoke ceramics for private, restaurant and corporate collections under the Insightful Ceramics label. My aesthetic was deeply influenced by a years study in Japan working alongside local and Bizen Masters, absorbing the embedded culture and refining the techniques behind Japanese ceramics.

Felicity Dunn

Felicity got sick of all those bunnies on baby bowls and thought it was time for some firm moral direction for today's youngsters. Hence, “Moral Platitudes”, stoneware handmade bowls with a picture and a few words of wisdom. These bowls are lovingly made in between raising her two small (generally morally sound) children.

Ann Ferguson

These works invite people to play with ideas for town planning. Components of the game are a variety of simple houses, trees and buildings constructed from blocks of clay painted with shades of earth. Single houses, small villages and complex cities can be happily constructed anywhere-on window sills, coffee tables or even plant pots.

Kathy Fahey

Cramics are a major part of my art practice which also includes painting, printmaking and artist books. My ceramics are about the painted surface, the use of colour, movement, line and composition. One of the major motifs in my work is the urban environment, painted imagery of buildings, factories, road signs and streetscapes.

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Bridget Foley

Bridget Foley’s work is hand thrown on a potter’s wheel using porcelaineous clay. She mixes all her own glazes and fires in a gas kiln to 1300. She uses glazes such as chun, tenmoku and copper reds. She enjoys experimenting with glaze combinations to give her work a unique look.

Kay Goldfinch

Kay hand builds most of her work, choosing porcelain clay for its whiteness, delicacy, translucency and malleability. A variety of stains and oxides are applied to accentuate the detail of each piece. Most of the forms Kay creates are inspired from an interest in nature and the human form.

Minna Graham

My work is an expression of my emotional relationship to my surroundings. I am interested in the relationship between humans and nature and how our surroundings effect us emotionally. My work is sometimes a peaceful interpretation of diverse conditions, at other times the tension I feel is reflected in the teetering forms and stacking of my work. I seek to push the boundaries of balance as nature's extremes push me, and by doing so to tell a story of my struggle between controlling my environment and managing myself within it.

Sophie Harle

I make simple practical tableware designed for everyday use. All my pots are hand thrown so each piece is unique, with its own personality.Glazes are made from raw ingredients from the earth. They are food friendly and don't mind going in the microwave or dishwasher.

Debbie Harman

Debbie Harman works as a community/public artist in Melbourne. She works primarily in ceramics but also other media such as painting, textiles, graphics and suburban interventions. Her artwork is often about the human experience and our use of language. Debbie is currently an Artist in Residence at Deer Park Artspaces (Brimbank Council). She is also studying for her Masters of Fine Art- Art in Public Space at RMIT.

Lene Kuhl Jakobsen

Lene studied ceramics in Denmark and moved to Melbourne in 1985. Lene works from her own studio and has exhibited in Australia and overseas and won awards for her work. The seaurchin pieces are inspired by the sealife found on visits to the beach.

Yen Yen Lo

After a long stint as a graphic designer in the world of magazines, I wanted to go back to creating something that didn't involve a computer, a mouse or an undo button. I was drawn to the tactile nature of clay and what started as a whim has rapidly become an obsession. There is a certain satisfaction in coaxing a shape out of a lump of earth, a quiet pursuit that is both meditative and introspective. I have a great love for illustrated work and that is the approach I have taken with my pottery. I take pleasure in transferring my thoughts from paper onto clay and in the permanence of a fired piece.

Vanessa Lucas

Pleasure in the utilitarian is an unwavering priority in the design of my slipcast porcelain tableware. I like to provoke an emotional response to familiar objects through the subtle inclusion of references which echo elements of the natural world.

Sue McFarland

The curvy base series addresses a focus on the area of pots that are usually discreet. The interior base has been made as a surprise for the user as levels recede and something of interest appears.

Kathryn Mitchell

Kathryn is a young emerging ceramic artist, raised on the Isle of Man and trained in Australia. She works with stoneware and porcelain clays, in both wheel throwing and slip casting techniques. Kathryn is fascinated with the temperamental and unpredictable yet permanent qualities of ceramics, and aims to combine traditional techniques with contemporary forms. Her delicate hand-painted designs reflect the vibrancy of her adopted Australian homeland, combined with fond memories of her British birthplace. Kathryn has participated in exhibitions and events across Australia, including Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

Ruby Pilven

Ruby creates uniquely designed and handcrafted porcelain jewellery pieces and functional home ware. Her work is delicate, refined and skilfully made. Using only the purest porcelain clay, Ruby decorates her works with bold intricate decal patterns and her own silkscreened designs. Her works are not only fashionable and innovative but also comfortable to wear.

Wendy Reeve

Wendy's work is wheel thrown using an iron based clay and fired in a wood fired kiln. This type of kiln and firing allows for a range of results from the same clay and glazes making each piece unique.

Bridget Salter

Bridget Salter produces hand-built, thrown and cast stoneware ceramics. Her focus is on the personal identification and engagement with the urban environment, and strong narratives are buried in the rich surface treatment. In mind is always the idea of the object travelling through different hands and homes, over time, gathering residues of use. A reflection of the urban fabric re-interpreted by individuals, creating an overlaying, overlapping energy - a private ownership of the public realm.

Ingrid Tufts

Ingrid Tufts is a designer + maker working under the Tufts label. She runs a small studio producing a range of handmade functional ceramic tableware with a simple bright aesthetic. Ingrid also works with the hospitality sector to create bespoke cafe ware and often collaborates with other artists.

Dawn Vachon

Dawn is a Canada born, Melbourne based potter. She uses the wheel and hand builds with slabs to create pieces for the home and table.

Isabella Wang

As a product designer, I prefer to create functional pieces but at the same time express my artistic creativity in forms and glazes. The purpose of my collections are to bring joy to people through the appreciation of the beauty in ceramic, and carry the passion from one to another in our daily lives. I draw inspiration from nature and my personal experiences, particularly through travelling.

Chris Wright

You could describe my work as a fusion of 1950's design sensibility, african aesthetics and a sprinkling of cartoon pop culture. I have a love of pattern and colour and love the way that one idea can create the momentum for many others. My main aim is to make work that exudes an inherent sense of life and that continues to provide a sense of pleasure to others once having migrated from my studio to the outside world.

Sophie Xarhakos

Working predominantly with porcelain, Sophie's interest is in creating unusual shapes, patterns and textures. She utilises various techniques - including wheel throwing, hand building, modeling and turning - to achieve her desired forms and, once her mould is completed, she casts with porcelain. Sophie uses a variety of methods to decorate her forms and surfaces and devotes a great deal of time to the finish.Ultimately, her finished forms display symmetry, precision and a fine quality.