Micharl Reid Murrurundi is thrilled to present Rachel Falls Williams‘ first exhbition Into the Red.

Journeying into the ancient red land of the Pilbara region.

This body of work is a response to a self-funded residency in the Pilbara and seeks to capture the unique colours, textures and details of these dramatic landscapes. From high on hilltops, to deep within the gorges, this work explores both the intimacy and vastness of this place.

The iron rich red of the Hamersley Ranges. The soft veil of spinifex. Rugged landforms and sweeping plains. Formed and then deeply weathered and eroded over millions of years. A literal exploration of the geology and vegetation of the region.

Each work is both functional and an expression of materiality. The slips and glazes incorporate materials sourced on location in the Pilbara including; Snakewood (Acacia xiphophylla) ash collected from the firepit and found iron rich clay and inclusions.

A quiet celebration of the beauty, power and fragility of this ancient landscape.

Please email colinesoria@michaelreid.com.au to receive a preview PDF catalogue.

We are delighted to announce the return of Cathy McMichael to the Michael Reid Clay program.

Following her beautiful showing in the Pour group exhibition curated by Vicki Grima at Michael Reid Northern Beaches last August, McMichael is back with an exquisite new collection of vessels that celebrate the perfect beauty of timeworn imperfection.

Through a skilful and unique approach to ceramics, the artist evokes the nuanced textures of aged and corroded surfaces with gently mottled, worn and variegated patinas that emote elegance, gravitas and grace.

McMichael experiments with rust, oxidation and patination in her glazes, with shadows of dark clays emerging through her work’s tumbled, tarnished, rough-hewn finishes in deep olive greens, mottled mustard, glossy jade and deep rust.

The result is a fabulous interplay between her contemporary sensibilities and an eye for the earthy romanticism and moody historicism of classical artifacts and ancient relics weathered by time.

By playing up the graceful irregularities of the handmade, this collection of pieces forms a perfect complement to Stacey McCall’s new series of quietly sublime, artfully undone still-life paintings, ‘Breathwork’, which is showing concurrently at Michael Reid Murrurundi.

Cathy McMichael’s work is paired with Stacey McCall‘s latest exhibition, Breathwork.

Michael Reid Clay is thrilled to welcome Jennifer Oh to our Murrurundi exhibition space with a striking new series of sculptural objects and totemic vessels adorned with ultra-stylish, optically charged graphic motifs.

This exciting solo outing follows the artist’s successful showing in the group exhibition Pour, which was staged at Michael Reid Northern Beaches last August and curated by Vicki Grima.

Born in the Philippines, raised in Australia and now based between Rome and Sydney following a period in London, Oh says her practice is informed by her multiplicity of backgrounds and the various built environments she has encountered on her travels across different states and hemispheres.

Titled Tow The Line, her bold new series of torus-shaped, talismanic sculptures and eye-catching geometric vessels is enlivened by fabulous zigzagging patterns inspired by Op-Art motifs, nautical fashion and the razzle-dazzle camouflage of World War I battleships.

Now on view at Michael Reid Murrurundi, Un/Natural by Elizabeth Lewis is the latest exhibition from our Michael Reid Clay platform and a fabulous expression of the Hunter Valley-born, Sydney-based ceramic artist’s distinctive and exuberant style.

Mixing elegance, verve and a dash of irreverence, the artist aims to conjure up feelings of nostalgia through her ceramics practice. Drawing on craft traditions and motifs from antiquity, her work’s wilder flourishes enliven these touchstones and give mythological narratives a contemporary spin.

Un/Natural is a vibrant collection of sculptural objects and stylised vessels, all alive with voluptuous shapes, playfully off-kilter proportions, hand-pinched impressions, and a palette of intensely pigmented pastels with areas of soft gradation.

Each piece’s mix of writhing, organic elements with classical urn-like structures invites a dynamic interplay between history and modernity, wildness and control, nature and culture, and the balance of malleability and hardness inherent to her medium.

Lewis is an alumnus of Kil.n.it Studios and her work has been exhibited across Australia and internationally. Un/Natural arrives at Murrurundi after her successful showing in Kil.n.it’s group exhibition at Michael Reid Northern Beaches in October 2023.

Chrystie works on Dharawal Country in a studio between high cliffs and the sea where verdant flora and fauna are a daily inspiration and functional and decorative ceramic pieces fit seamlessly into a slower, more considered pace of life. Chrystie is currently undertaking a Masters of Ceramics at the National Art School, Sydney.

“I have always been interested in how various shades of the same colour can be juxtaposed to tell a story of place, time and memory. With Forest Bathing, I am exploring the reverance I have for the light and textures found in the verdant surroundings of my home and the sense of peace engendered when walking within my local escarpment’s fertile embrace.” – Chrystie Longworth