Leife's Ceramics

Leife’s blue and white ceramics were collected from various places and have varying monetary values. Over the years, as a result of her self-professed clumsiness, broken pieces have been piled up in a polystyrene box. She stored them with the intention of doing something with them at a later date. That later date has never arrived, until now.

Repairer Halie Rubenis 'fixed' these objects with an experiment. Using all that she had on hand – the plastic and polystyrene packing that the pieces were stored in – Rubenis created a series of unusual and playful embellishments. The experiment explores the potential of polymers in craft practice and highlights a discussion around the conventional costs associated with fixing and how limited resources can spark creativity and alternative perspectives without overcapitalising on equipment and materials. The work is aptly titled ‘Warts and All’ and ‘The Surgeon’.

Design Repairer: Halie Rubenis

Halie is a freelance design consultant working across a diverse range of projects. To date this has included interpretive design, graphics, marketing strategies, objects and jewellery. Originally completing an apprenticeship as a commercial jeweller, Halie has since studied at Melbourne Polytechnic, the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and the Australian National University. After spending a decade in the commercial design and non-profit arts sectors diversifying her skillset, she established her own studio in Queanbeyan NSW and regularly collaborates with her husband Niklavs. Halie has also facilitated and co-produced a long list of successful collaborations and exhibitions and shares her office with 3 cats and 5 chickens.

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Leife's Ceramics. Repaired by Halie Rubenis. Photos by Lee Grant. Image copyright Hotel Hotel.