The exhibition A Void, Now Filled is the culmination of my Auckland Studio Potters artists residency from May to July 2025. My approach was to focus on experimentation and creative play, resulting in an exploration of texture sourced directly from found objects in my surroundings. Impressions of natural materials such as rocks and wood, as well as naturally eroded human-made items like chunks of concrete and rusty metal, were created by pressing soft clay directly onto the objects.

I started my residency at Auckland Studio Potters in May, a community ceramics studio in Onehunga. They have hosted me as a resident in one of their two ‘pod’ studio spaces, and have provided support, firing, and opportunities to get stuck into the activities happening around the site. I have been enjoying experimenting, creating and soaking up the community atmosphere.

My first exhibition in many years, In the Company of Water with Kaiqi Qiu, was shown in The Strand Arcade, Auckland. The elements in the show includes wave-inspired ceramic vessels by Kaiqi and shoreline-inspired sculptural ceramics by me, as well as sand and found beach detritus used both as displays for the ceramics and sculptures in and of themselves. Three key coastal locations in Tāmaki Makarau Auckland informed the sculptural forms and textures of my ceramic pieces.

Just over a year ago, I decided to dedicate myself as fully as I could to creating art. The past year has seen me start teaching ceramics classes, taking part in the Wayfind Creative programme, working on developing my sculptural practice, and presenting my work at a Social Club event at Objectspace.

One of the things I have been exploring is the use of natural found materials in my work - specifically finding wild clay for ceramics and earth pigment for drawing. My creative practice interprets the natural world, creating forms influenced by the environment surrounding bodies of water, so it feels like a natural progression to utilise materials found in those places within the work itself.