THE DESIGN FILES – Studio Visit

Ceramicist and artist Shari Lowndes of Szilvassy spent much of her childhood in the lush landscapes of Northern New South Wales.

A connection to nature not only inspired her, but directly informs her practice.

Her hands are not just in the clay, but also in the earth, where she digs and hand processes her materials.

Shari connects this collection (AETHER) to a quote from celebrated British sculptor and environmentalist Andy Goldsworthy, in reference to the colour red in nature –

‘The red is a vein running around the earth. It has taught me about the flow, energy and life that connects one place with another’.

For Shari, this is reminiscent of where she grew up, on land enriched by red iron oxides.

‘My formative years influenced how I see the world, and defined an intimate relationship with nature…This has embedded a values system that I draw on in my artistic practice today’.

We speak with the philosophical ceramicist about the journey of her first collection, Aether,

and her optimistic outlook for the decline of the disposable.

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