Kim Henderson
“ My art and ceramics reflect the importance of flora and fauna and the environment in my life. One of my recreational pleasures is scuba diving. I find the vast diversity of marine life captivating and it plays an important role in my art. My underwater camera has become an invaluable tool on my underwater adventures.”
Hand Built Ceramics
WE LOVE…
Kim has a way of ‘decorating’ ceramics that is very, very special and seldom executed. Screenprinting onto ceramics requires a knowledge and understanding of both ceramics as well as the process of print and applied design. How cool is it that Kim brings it all together in her ubercool vessels of varying shapes, style and function. And the element of surprise to see some of them with little gems printed on the inside is just so very delightful and beautiful. ARTFORM.
Currently in the gallery…
Feature
Kim was born in Golden Bay and grew up in the small seaside settlement of Parapara. The estuary, sea and river evoke fond memories and the abundant wildlife it attracted. Her father (John Stark) was a potter at the time and life often revolved around the pottery work shed, a place where Kim enjoyed making and creating with clay. After graduating from design school at the Christchurch Polytechnic in 1991 a career in graphic design, structural carton design and sign writing followed. After attending pottery classes through the Canterbury Potters’ Association, Kim set up a pottery studio at her home in 2009. She converted the hay barn for her work space and the old horse stables became a studio gallery. "Nature offers so much relevance and scope through my art. I enjoy conveying its beauty sometimes with a hint of beast. Man’s part to play in nature’s ecology has become of importance too." Currently water is the basis for her ceramic themes. Rock pools, ponds and the sea have been an excellent basis to draw inspiration from. The shapes, textures and patterns add much stimulus to her art. and she often includes inscriptions on the interior of her ceramic vessels. These can be recollections from her childhood living in Golden Bay or commentary on the importance of waterways in the environment. Other sources of interest which add much to her ceramic art are insects, textiles, indigenous art and craft and furniture (vintage and modern).
"My ceramic forms are of clean and simple design. I maximise the ceramic’s surface with my decorative illustrations and textured imagery. My ceramics are made from clay rolled to the desired thickness, then decorated with coloured slips or pressed into textured reliefs. It is finally assembled into vessels or more abstract pieces. I use stoneware clay glaze electric fired to 1160°C. "