Costume Jewellery Creation Wins Supreme Award

News release – for immediate release

Clay Artist’s Costume Jewellery Creation Wins Supreme Ceramic Award

Masterton ceramicist, Kirsty Gardiner rarely wears the flamboyant jewellery left to her by her mother, but its use in her work, Secrets a Jar has just earned her New Zealand’s top ceramic art prize; the 2010 Premier Portage Award.

Mrs Gardiner was honoured with the $15,000 prize at the Awards’ ten year anniversary ceremony held in Auckland tonight.

The South African born artist, who has been making clay works for 25 years, has never won anything in her life before.

‘I’ve been entering the Portage Ceramic Awards for the last eight years, and have never been placed.

I’ve always viewed winning ‘the Portage’ like having a good figure; something you aspire to but never seem to get...I just never thought I was in that league.

‘My work is highly personal, so when my mother died suddenly two years ago, I knew her decorative jewellery would find its way into my work; I’m glad it did!’

This year’s Portage Ceramic Awards judge, Australian ceramic artist Stephen Bowers says Kirsty Gardiner’s work won because it was distinctly imaginative and well realised.

‘It takes a classic vase-shaped urn and then, literally, opens it up, to reveal a strange and delicate inner world. It shows the narrative, illustrative side of clay. It is like a 3D illustration, a miniature model of a scene from surreal, perhaps slightly gothic and unsettling fantasy story. It references dreams, science, museums, laboratories, mummy jars, collections, nature and metamorphosis (amongst other things). It is quite an intriguing piece, like something straight out of an adult fairy tale.’

Six Merit Awards were presented to ceramic artists from all over the country at tonight’s ceremony.

The 2010 Portage Ceramic Awards merit winners are:

Georgina Caulton (Avondale, Auckland) for her work Meet the Family

Rhonda Jameson (One Tree Hill, Auckland) for her work Kai Time

Greg Barron (Whangarei) for his work Fertility Vessel

Melissa Ford (Levin) for her work Re(collection)

Kate Fitzharris (Dunedin) for her work Some Things for the Making

Duncan Shearer (Hamilton) for his work Albarelli

Each merit award winner was presented with a $1,000 prize.

There were more than 180 entries in this year’s Awards.

Mr Bowers, a multi-award winning ceramicist, teacher, writer, reviewer, arts manager and craft enthusiast, commented that this year’s exhibition works are clever, confident and filled with ideas.

‘This years Portage Ceramic Awards winner’s and finalist’s works would hold a place anywhere in the world. New Zealand ceramic practice, as demonstrated by these works’, shares similar ideas and dialogues with those being explored globally.

‘Artists in New Zealand are working with traditional techniques and materials in contemporary ways to produce diverse and thoughtfully personal works.’

The winners, together with the selected finalist’s works will be on exhibition at Lopdell House Gallery, Titirangi, Auckland from 8 October until 5 December.

To celebrate the Portage Ceramic Awards decade milestone, a People’s Choice Award has been introduced. Voting forms for this Award are available at the exhibition.

The Portage Licensing Trust established the Portage Ceramic Awards in 2000 as a showcase for excellence in New Zealand ceramics. It is due to the generosity of the Trust’s Charitable Foundation that the awards are the country’s best known barometer identifying our finest ceramic artists.

ENDS

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