Ocean Inspired Porcelain

28 August – 1 October
Ceramic artist, Jo Victoria, is inspired by weathered surfaces, broken shells and bones washed up with the tides on the NSW South Coast. Stories and place are etched in these objects and her sculptural works reflect these once living things in the whiteness, translucency, fragility and strength of unglazed porcelain.

Many recent works have been made using natural materials found on the beach, dipped into porcelain and fired to leave only a trace of itself in the clay. These works embrace decay as part of life’s beauty.

In this installation Jo aims to capture the area where she lives, the light that filters through the banksia forest and sea mist rolling in across the bay.

About Jo Victoria
Jo Victoria grew up foraging on the beaches of the South Coast of NSW. It was a natural fit for her to pursue studies in anthropology and archaeology at the Australian National University. Following the completion of her studies and travels, Jo moved to Alice Springs and worked with Traditional Owners documenting connections to country and traveling across expansive and beautiful desert environments.

Jo’s love of clay eventually took her back to the Australian National University to pursue a Diploma and then a Master of Visual Art in Ceramics.

Key achievements in Jo’s art career include the Emerging Contemporaries, ACT Craft and Design Exhibition Award, Canberra (2017), and the Guldagergaard International Travel, Exhibition and Residency Award, Denmark (2018). Jo has also been awarded The Doug Alexander Memorial Award, at the Canberra Potters Society, Canberra (2018) as well as NSW South East Arts Grants for photography equipment (2020) and for professional development at the Canberra Glass Works (2024).

In 2019 Jo moved her art practice to be closer to the ocean on the South Coast of NSW and completed building her light filled ceramic studio among the tall spotted gum forest in her backyard at Mossy Point.

Image top: Jo Victoria, Porcelain Lights, 2023 Photo: Jo Victoria