Eden is welcoming Sydney-based ceramicist Luke Ryan O'Connor this week, showcasing his work at BVRG: PORT, the pop-up gallery space housed in the Welcome Centre at Snug Cove.
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Chatting with ACM on Tuesday morning, Luke explained he has been working towards completing the body of work titled Melt, Drip, Lustre throughout the year, a selection of colourful and alluring textural ceramic pieces.
"Once COVID lockdowns hit in Sydney I set up a home studio in my garage, where I have been working for the last six months," he said.
"It has been kind of crazy, because I haven't actually exhibited in a physical space for two years now," he said.
In the meantime, Luke, who has been building his profile for last five or six years, has had a number of online shows with Artereal Gallery.
With a significant number of ceramic artists in the region, Bega Valley Regional Gallery director Iain Dawson had been looking for a ceramicist to visit the Far South Coast and exhibit.
"I think he wanted to connect people doing ceramics here with artists from Sydney, it's a nice fit for me to be able to come down and do it," Luke said.
The ceramicist has exhibited across Australia as well as international shows in New Zealand and Germany, and described his body of work as a large series of small-scale ceramic vessels.
"My practice is very much process based. A lot of my ideas come through experiencing the material itself," Luke said.
"I implement a lot of different methods and techniques into my work, combining elements that still have reference to ceramic objects people may have seen before," he said.
"For example, these vessels could be used as a vase but are also designed to be standalone pieces with their own character.
"I am always interested in the use of bright colour. Many people may think of white porcelain or earthy terracotta when they think of ceramics, but I want my work to step away from that."
This week is the first time Luke has visited the Far South Coast and he's been suitably impressed by the beauty and pace.
"It's so lovely, the beaches, the people - I have been lucky to have Iain take me around - we've enjoyed oysters, Pambula markets, I'm looking forward to exploring the national parks and doing some walks while I am here," he said.
There's a great opportunity this Saturday to get an understanding of Luke's artistic process and watch a demonstration of him working for an hour.
"A lot of labour goes into the initial building of a piece. I will go through the whole process of building the work, throwing clay, making the main body and the little attachments I add on using molds I have pre-made from chunks of rock and styrofoam," he said.
"I use a heat gun to dry the clay quickly, which is a bit unconventional, my work then typically undergoes three or four firings.
"The first one is bisque and then I tend to add a lot of layers and some more sculptural glazing."
Luke's work is for sale through Artereal and Iain Dawson can also be contacted with any inquiries.
Melt, Drip, Lustre opens this Friday night and will be showing at BVRG: PORT in the Welcome Centre from December 18, 2021 - February 8, 2022.
Tickets for the Friday night opening include canapés and bubbles and can be booked by clicking here.
Workshop/demo bookings for Saturday morning can be booked by clicking here.
More information about the exhibition and artist is available on the BVRG website.
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Leah Szanto
Regional journalist covering the Far South Coast of NSW.
Regional journalist covering the Far South Coast of NSW.
