Jess Graham’s ardour for ceramics has been unwavering since she was launched to the medium as a highschool elective in 12 months eight. She was instantly drawn to the tactile technique of constructing one thing up from a easy block of clay. Jess wound up taking the topic for the remainder of her education profession, after which into college.
The rising artistic graduated from her Bachelor of High quality Artwork at RMIT in the course of final 12 months. Her three-year course was stretched out to 3 and a half years due to the pandemic, but it surely pushed her to ‘create an area’ for herself and her artwork – actually and figuratively!
‘I’ve all the time loved hand constructing items, and though I do nonetheless wheel throw issues and use my pottery wheel, I do love the way in which that hand construct items look,’ Jess says.
‘All through my diploma I all the time discovered myself gravitating to pure clay our bodies and never utilizing a complete heap of color in my work. It wasn’t till the ultimate 12 months of my diploma that I began making my bulge items, however I don’t see myself stopping any time quickly.’
It was these barely kooky creations with natural, overflowing ‘bulges’ that earned Jess a spot in Craft Victoria’s annual Contemporary! Awards, the place she took dwelling two coveted prizes, together with The Design Information Rising Maker Award and The John Wardle Architects Craft Prize, a lot to Jess’s shock!
‘Profitable two prizes on the Craft Victoria Contemporary! Awards was an enormous shock to me,’ she says. ‘I used to be going into the opening of the exhibition simply to admire the work round me and never anticipating a factor.’
Now an award-winning graduate, Jess is a ceramicist by day and a hospitality employee in an area pub by night time – and on weekends. Her follow has a twin focus too, as she creates each practical and sculptural items. These vary from easy, speckled cups, bowls and vases, to her extra sculptural items and distinctive vessels, impressed by the human type (which explains her shapely creations!) and the work of one other Melbourne ceramicist Zhu Ohmu.
Jess has lately arrange her personal studio area at the back of her share home, the place she’s busy engaged on new items and a doable assortment, so watch this area!
Store Jess Graham’s works on-line right here.