Marlize de Klerk is a South African-born emerging ceramic artist living and working on Kaurna Land, South Australia. Her intricate ceramic forms serve as figurative vessels through which she reflects on her experiences as an immigrant and her deep connections to both her birthplace and her new home. Growing up surrounded by ceramics, influenced by both her mother and father, Marlize developed an appreciation for the art form from an early age. This early exposure, combined with her creative pursuits as a pastry chef, eventually led her to explore ceramics as a medium for storytelling and emotional expression, which she began pursuing seriously after completing a Bachelor of Contemporary Arts in 2022. Marlize's work explores the sensory power of familiar everyday objects, using found objects, botanical flora and baroque adornment as her visual language and their ability to trigger visceral reactions tied to memory. Using porcelain as her primary medium, she explores the themes of nostalgia, loss, and time. Her unglazed sculptural vessels emphasise the repetitive maker's mark, creating a direct connection between the artist and the object. Through her work, Marlize aims to preserve memories in clay, transforming fleeting moments into tangible objects. The sculptural vessels resonate with past experiences, evoking a spiritual energy that connects the viewer to the memories embedded within. Marlize’s work continues to evolve as she pursues a Bachelor of Creative Arts (Honours), where she delves deeper into the relationship between memory, objects, and the narratives they carry. Recently, her work was recognised in the Helpmann Graduate Exhibition 2023, the Waterhouse Science Art Prize, and the Governor’s Collection as part of Helpmann Academy’s 30th Anniversary.
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