Being connected to the remote South Australian coastline and surfing, Josephine hopes that the unfiltered beauty of the natural world comes through in her work. She invites the viewer to feel a sense of the elemental and deeptime.
Josephine creates sculptural ceramic pieces in her Melbourne studio using the coiling technique. Through a reductive process, she pushes and scrapes the clay to find the desired form. She leaves the surface unglazed to celebrate the raw sheen and texture of the clay and importantly, to bring emphasis to the form of the piece. She glazes the interior to make it watertight and to provide a contrast in surfaces. The lip of the vessel becomes a focal point, subtly articulating the form.
Juxtaposed with these stone-like vessels are more delicate wheel-thrown pieces. Josephine uses gestural brushstrokes and colour to develop the surface of this work. She is interested in the transparent nature of coloured slip; how colour can be layered and how brushstroke can give a sense of movement.
When side by side the two styles complement each other, creating an interesting conversation.
Josephine has been pursuing her passion for ceramics over the past six years. Prior to this she had a career in music and education. Her ceramic practice broadened to include hand-building during Covid when she was living in a remote coastal settlement with her family. She grew up in a community of artists and now draws inspiration from her exposure to their artistic practice.