David Pottinger
Reverb | New Nerikomi Pieces
on view in the gallery
10 – 31 August 2024
David Pottinger is one of Australia’s finest ceramic artists. He is well known for employing the technique of ‘Nerikomi’, a Japanese term that refers to the layering, cutting and merging of different coloured clays.
Within my practice, my main fascination is the physical act of making. Inherent in the pieces themselves is the story of the maker, the finger marks, the laying of the coloured porcelain sheets, the patterning, the compression of the block over time. All these elements combine to create pieces that include skill, chance and possibility. The resulting pieces invite a dialogue with the viewer, to consider what sits beyond craft, to go deeper into their personal responses to the forms.
This new body of work continues my ongoing exploration of the expressive capabilities of clay through the technique of Nerikomi. Each piece begins with the fusing of coloured sheets of porcelain and cutting patterns together. From this early stage there can be a sense of what the new piece might be, but this is a process that is driven by the malleability of the medium.
It’s very much about being sensitive to where the clay wants to go, and my role in the creation of the forms. In many ways it’s a meditative way of working – of continually being open to the possibilities of the medium in the act of creation.
Pottinger started his educational training in ceramics at the Kelvin Grove College in 1987, and completed a Masters degree in Visual Arts at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) in 2005. His works are part of many international collections and have been exhibited across the world in multiple exhibitions, including at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. He lives and works in Melbourne, Australia.

David Pottinger
Crinkle 1
Nerikomi Vessel #26
ceramic 15cm high
$980
&
Swift
Nerikomi Vessel #39
ceramic 11cm high
$900

David Pottinger
Patter
Nerikomi Vessel #20
ceramic 19cm high
$1,750
&
Quiver
Nerikomi Vessel #43
ceramic 13.5cm high
$980

David Pottinger
Tempo
Nerikomi Vessel #28
ceramic 28cm high
$1,950
&
Wiggle
Nerikomi Vessel #35
ceramic 21.5cm high
$2,250