Dawn Clayden
“Being in my studio is my happy place. I feel like a magician, where my hands are my magic wand and my head goes off into an entirely different reality. How lucky am I...
”
Hand-built Ceramics
WE LOVE…
We love the way Dawn combines the refined finish of white bodies clay, porcelain and glazes with fun, beauty and quirk. It is ‘Alice in Wonderland’ meets the ‘Cirque du Soleil’, a world of chemistry, energy, fantasy and a wee bit of practicality thrown in. In typical NZ style, these refined beauties come out of a studio with a view to some goats, ponies and a couple of sheep thrown in. Beautiful Dawn, inside and out, carry on the goodness to make our hearts sing… ARTFORM.
Currently in the gallery…
Feature
Auckland-based ceramicist Dawn specialises in one-off pieces and small production runs. Dawn's current body of work runs with themes of the romantic and whimsical, with vases adorned with cascading flowers with additions of gold and platinum lustre. Each porcelain piece is fired three times and will be in the kiln for a period of just over one week until it is finished. Dawn is fascinated with energy of planets and nature, combined with juxtaposing old-world tales and modern thinking. She is energizing to talk to, bubbling away with ideas and theories of how the world works and stories of the podcasts she listens to when creating. You come away thinking that anything could happen in her creations, and yet they are charming, delicate, whimsical and utterly adorable. Her craft, being it slip-casting, hand-building, adoring with her 'extreme cake maker-style' treasures, is one of extreme delicacy and balance, making each piece a true one-of-a-kind. Often working in black & white, we are delighted to exclusively let her go to town on colour. This has opened up a whole different avenue for Dawn, and one we are proud to work on her with. Go forth Dawn, we are right with you and lucky to share your passion.