Tactile Exhibition Collection
Ladder Artspace Gallery 2025

Danielle Segal is an Australian ceramic artist whose work explores the complex relationship between fragility and permanence in the natural world. Influenced by her deep connection to extreme landscapes such as Antarctica and Central Australia, Segal’s practice explores geological time, memory, and the textures of the earth.

The rocks and desert formations of Central Australia inspire the pieces in this series. The landscape there reveals itself in layers, strata of strength and fragility built up over immense periods of time. Using laminated stoneware clay, she echoes those natural processes of accumulation and erosion. Each form is built slowly, then finished with dry glazes in the reds, ochres, and purples of the desert. The surfaces often respond unpredictably, with glazes that break, fuse, or shift in firing, gestures that mirror the elemental forces shaping the land itself.

Marlize Myburgh is a ceramic artist whose tactile sculptures explore memory, migration, and transformation through organic form. Inspired by natural rhythms and cultural crossings, her work combines layered textures and flowing shapes that seem to grow and move. Each piece invites touch—its surfaces carrying the marks of making and the sensation of life in motion. In deep blue tones and rhythmic patterns, Myburgh’s ceramics translate emotion into texture, expressing connection and belonging through the physical language of clay.

Artist Statement – Ann Knights
Ann’s work explores the quiet connection between form, place, and memory. Drawing inspiration from the landscapes of North East Victoria, she aims to evoke rather than depict—capturing the essence of mountains, forests, and rural horizons. Each vessel is hand-built in stoneware using slab and coil techniques. The process is intuitive, allowing forms to emerge organically. Texture is built up in layers using slips, oxides, and glazes, creating surfaces that reflect the natural world’s complexity and subtlety. Her objective is to create contemplative pieces that invite emotional resonance through their materiality, texture, and form.

Adrienne Mann discovered the joy of working with clay in her late teens and has been creating ever since. She uses ceramics as a means of expression, exploring ideas and emotions through form and surface.

In the mid-2000s, she completed a Diploma of Ceramics and has continued to develop her practice through workshops and artist residencies. Her recent work includes a series of ovoid forms that experiment with alternative firing techniques, reflecting her curiosity and commitment to process.

More recently, Adrienne has expanded her practice to include porcelain narrative artworks, drawing inspiration from her love of tea and her Boston Terrier. This playful combination led to the creation of The Boston Tea Party, a work that brings together storytelling, humour, and her enduring passion for clay.

Bernadette Skinner is a Melbourne-based ceramic artist whose practice embodies a deep connection to material, form, and function. Her journey with clay began in earnest in 2018 when she acquired her own kiln, igniting a passion that has since flourished into a distinctive and evolving body of work .
Skinner’s ceramics are celebrated for their elegant simplicity and tactile appeal. She often works with black clay, crafting lidded crystalline vessels that highlight her refined aesthetic and technical skill . Her popular handmade and hand-painted pottery collections, including functional pieces like keep cups, reflect a balance between utility and artistry .
Rooted in a love for the handmade and a commitment to craftsmanship, Bernadette Skinner continues to shape a thoughtful and resonant ceramic practice that engages both the senses and the imagination.

Glenn has been working with clay for over 40 years. During this time she has studied and has also taught ceramics.
She makes both functional ceramics and more decorative sculptural pieces. Form is very important in her work and the vessel form is predominant.
Glenn works with soft colours and textures, natural forms based on seed pods and lines and patterns to create her interpretation of the environment she lives in.

Aukje van Vark is a sculptor who works in different clay techniques, cement, steel and bronze. Her work 'somehow' always turns into an animal, even though the main theme of her work are how she experiences the world and its emotions. Since life is never still, her work is often full of movement and surprises.

Carly Housiaux is a practicing visual artist and experienced educator with a background in ceramics and visual arts. She holds a Bachelor of Visual Arts and Design from Australian Catholic University, along with diplomas in Ceramics and Visual Arts from TAFE institutions in Victoria.

Her work has been exhibited widely across Victoria, including solo exhibitions at Glimpse Artspace and Northcote Town Hall, and group shows at venues such as Alternating Current, Bundoora Homestead, and SOL Gallery. Her art explores themes of transformation, memory, and materiality through both two-dimensional and sculptural forms.

Alongside her studio practice, Carly teaches ceramics and visual arts at Bridge Darebin. She brings a thoughtful, inclusive approach to her classes—encouraging creativity, exploration, and personal expression.

Claire Sunderland is a ceramic artist whose work celebrates the quiet beauty found in nature and the grounding rhythm of working with clay. Drawing inspiration from organic forms, textures, and the earthy tones of the natural world, Claire creates pieces that evoke a sense of calm, connection, and timeless simplicity.
Her practice explores the relationship between form and surface — from hand-built vessels and sculptural works to functional pottery rich with tactile detail. Claire’s approach is intuitive and meditative, allowing the process itself to guide the final outcome. Each piece carries the imprint of the maker’s hand and a deep appreciation for the imperfect harmony of natural materials.

The pieces in this exhibition are all made using a coiled technique with a white clay body. This process can be very time consuming compared to throwing a form, though it can be a great meditative process as well. The pieces are decorated with coloured slips and underglazes before being clear glazed and mid fired to 1222 degrees. I love my pieces to hold flowers or simply I want them to be beautiful or interesting objects that uplift the spirit in the spaces they occupy.

Elaheh Amini is an Iranian artist based in Melbourne and the founder of Elma Studio, with an academic background in Fine Arts (Painting). Her ceramic practice is an exploration of form, texture, and the dialogue between earth and fire. Rooted in a painter’s sensibility, she treats clay surfaces much like a canvas, layering gestures, textures, and glazes to create depth and rhythm. Clay becomes both medium and mark, carrying the memory of each touch and process.
Working primarily through hand-building, Elaheh creates sculptural vessels and objects that blur the line between functionality and artistic expression. Inspired by rocks, landscapes, birds, and organic patterns, her forms echo the irregularity, resilience, and quiet energy of the natural world.
Glaze experimentation is central to her practice. Subtle surfaces, layered tones, and unexpected transformations reveal both fragility and strength, mirroring the balance she seeks in her work. Each piece emerges slowly and intuitively, guided as much by the inherent qualities of clay as by her own hand.
Through these objects, Elaheh invites reflection and offers a tactile connection between maker, material, and viewer. Her practice is a celebration of clay’s transformative journey, where her background as a painter and her deep connection to nature converge in dialogue.

Harry creates one-off functional art that reflects his deep connection to nature.
His ceramics are hand built using various clay bodies. He employs various layering and glazing techniques to create tones and textures reminiscent of the natural environment. Harry is inspired by Japanese aesthetics, in particular the acceptance of transience and imperfection.

Helen Matthews has been working with clay for over ten years, focusing on wheel throwing to form a variety of functional and ornamental objects.

Helen enjoys exploring the elemental processes of alternative firing techniques to produce unique surface patterns. The fascination with these centuries-old firing methods stems from the mix of tradition, unpredictability and aesthetic uniqueness.

This series of forms are obvara fired. This method, sometimes known as Baltic Raku, is an ancient Eastern European technique dating back to the 12th century. Helen is fascinated by the distinctive patterns produced by the alchemy of heat, obvara brew and rapid cooling.

Helen Trudinger is an experienced potter with a Diploma in Art Studies . She has a wealth of experience in teaching and sharing her love of pottery . Helen was a founding member of Guildford Village Potters, Western Australia and has participated in both solo and group exhibitions there. Her work has been available from leading galleries in Colorado,USA, where she lived during the 1990’s. In Victoria, she has exhibited in group exhibitions, as a member of Valley Potters and Beaumaris Art Group, showcasing her skills and creativity. Helen continues to inspire and teach as a Ceramic Tutor at Beaumaris Art Group.

Ian Hodge
Ian lives in Melbourne and comes to ceramics after a career in hairdressing - where shape, colour and texture were all important. On discovering ceramics in 2021, he was intrigued and excited at the potential clay had as a way of expressing abstract ideas of form and colour.
His exhibition “Urban” a joint exhibition with painter Wayne Elliot at The Hive Gallery Ocean Grove has been a recent highlight. Ian’s work has also been included of various exhibitions and Galleries throughout Victoria and interstate.
Ian’s recent works have a Brutalist theme, a commentary on urban society with his monolithic like pieces depicting a community in isolation. In these recent works, form and the clay itself is the hero, shape, texture and earthiness being the key components. It’s a grounding showing strength and yet warmth of the clay.

Jacqui Louw is a Melbourne-based ceramic artist who has been making vessels since 2016. With training in Australia, Denmark and Italy, she continues to work towards refining her skills. Enthralled by the vast richness in techniques and materials, Jacqui explores shape and form alongside the unpredictable alchemy of earth, water, heat and chemistry that pottery offers. Her recent work delves into texture and colour using numerous glazes to dissect the fragile colonial relationship between humans and the environment.

Jill M Anderson - Artist Statement 2025

Since studying Ceramics at Holmesglen TAFE, Jill’s work has transitioned from whimsical social and political statements, to sculptural vessel forms enhanced by expressive clay surfaces.

Jill often creates lively and organic pieces, based on everyday objects such as jugs, ewers, vases and teapots. She enjoys the process of stretching and manipulating soft clay slabs and experimenting with coloured clays, inlay, slips, textures and various firing techniques.

This selection of works focuses on form and the vibrant glaze effects achieved through the Raku firing process.

Jill has been the recipient of numerous ceramics awards. She has taught art for over twenty years in secondary schools, and currently teaches ceramics at the Beaumaris Art Group and the Brighton Recreation Centre.

https://www.instagram.com/jillandersonceramics

Josephine Cassar is a studio-based ceramic artist and teacher. Her work is a blend of wheel thrown and hand building techniques, using high fired stoneware clays and multiple glazes.
Josephine takes a minimalist approach to her work and focuses on enhancing the natural textures of the clay through the interplay of clay and glaze.
Her artistic journey is deeply rooted in her Mediterranean island heritage and her love for the Australian bush which influences her work. When creating her pieces, Josephine focuses on the tactile beauty of the clay which, combined with her unique approach to glazing her work, ensures that each piece is one-of-a-kind and carries an extra layer of distinctiveness to her collection.

Juliet is a Ceramic artist and Educator exploring themes of landscape and environment within the surfaces of pots. She explores various burnishing and firing techniques to enfold the pot's surface with smoky layers, introducing combustibles into the firing process. This gives a unique, less controlled surface pattern, invoking a sense of misty mornings or turbulent planet storms.

Kate Young’s sculptures reflect her travels throughout the world, drawing inspiration from diverse art forms and cultural designs. Her creations capture both the beauty of nature, from whimsical clay tractors to delicate Raku-fired autumn leaves. Using the ancient Japanese Raku method, each piece undergoes multiple firings, enriching its depth, colour, and vibrancy. Embracing the element of chance in the firing process, Kate creates sculptures that celebrate the harmony between women, nature and the creative spirit.

Laura's passion for clay and ceramics began at an early age when she discovered its tactile and transformative nature. This initial discovery has led her on a journey of exploration and learning, which has taken her around the world and allowed her to develop a unique artistic voice.
Through her tertiary education and connections with mentors and friends, Laura has honed her skills in various firing techniques, including Saggar and Raku. These ancient techniques have become the focal point of her work, as she is fascinated by the "planned randomness" that can be achieved through them.
Laura's travels to remote landscapes have also greatly influenced her work, as she draws inspiration from the colors, textures, and patterns of the natural world. The landscapes of Iceland, Canada, New Zealand, Scandinavia and more recently Antarctica and South America inspire Laura’s work. The Australia desert outback also as a huge influence. The dramatic effects achieved through alternative firing techniques, such as Saggar and Raku, also reflect the natural processes of the environment, where chance and serendipity often play a significant role.
As an artist, Laura finds the combination of flame, chemistry, smoke, and heat to be captivating, and she has developed a unique style that reflects this fascination. Her work is truly one-of-a-kind, as she employs a combination of traditional and contemporary techniques to create pieces that are both visually stunning and conceptually engaging.
Overall, Laura's lifelong love of clay and her dedication to exploring new techniques and styles have resulted in a body of work that is both impressive and inspiring. Her unique vision and creativity continue to push the boundaries of what is possible in the world of ceramics and art.

“ I was lucky to find my artistic passion at an early age. I found my tribe.”- Laura Windmill

Inspired by function form and colour Liz has been working with clay as a hobby potter since 2014 but becoming more serious since 2021 when she set up her home-based studio with kiln and wheel. Loving experimenting with different clay and glazes she creates pieces so that each piece is unique. She has attended classes with multiple experienced and specialist potters which have all inspired her creative journey.

Ruby Binns is a Melbourne-based artist working in both painting and ceramics. Her practice explores themes of rest, intimacy, and the quiet tension between beauty and unease. She brings a painterly sensibility into her ceramic work, creating vessels that merge sculptural form with expressive surface.
Her latest pieces extend her interest in the reclining figure and domestic ritual, translated into clay. With clean silhouettes and hand-painted details, her ceramics invite reflection on stillness, memory, and the rhythms of everyday life. Through this body of work, Ruby continues her investigation into how art objects can hold atmosphere, presence, and moments of pause within the flow of modern living.

Sarah is a full-time ceramicist who lives in and has a studio in Emerald in the Dandenong Ranges. She is increasingly reflective within her art of her life and the journey’s she has travelled, Her environment has had a significant influence on her work and she is currently exploring natural glazes and found materials and how to utilise these to achieve her desired surfaces within the confines of oxidation firing
Sarah’s preference is for hand building but she will occasionally incorporate a thrown base/segment.

Artist Statement: Sharon Twining
This latest work is an exploration of what can appear on the surface of a pot that has been fired in a pit instead of a traditional kiln. The surface decoration created by firing has resulted in each piece having a unique appearance. This effect is the result of the intensity of the flames reacting with the various materials placed on and around the pots in the pit. Copper oxide, cobalt oxide, rock salt together with seaweed and wood shavings have fumed and reduced resulting in areas of red, grey and black appearing to create an atmosphere unique to each pot. The painting, ‘Inspired’, is based on the surface effects from the piece ‘Fumed 1’.

Vicki has been creating with clay for over years. Recently she has focused on improving her throwing skills. This year she is exhibiting wotk from a recent soda firing she participated in in New Zealand. The combination of wood, soda and fire create interesting textures and surfaces.