Auckland Studio Potters - Sponsored Awards

Awards

The ASP administers two sponsored awards

The Les and Sonia Andrews Cultural Foundation Award
The Auckland Studio Potters Domestic Ware Award

The Les and Sonia Andrews Cultural Foundation Award

Sonia and Les Andrews are veterans of stage and radio in New Zealand. They have had a life-long association with music and entertainment in this country, and are a much respected couple by all in that industry. They contributed hugely while working in the field and have continued that in their retirement with the establishment of the Les and Sonia Andrews Cultural Foundation.

For some years they have provided scholarships for the New Zealand School of Music and in 2003 concluded an arrangement with Auckland Studio Potters to provide a generous Annual Scholarship. It goes to an emerging potter of promise. Since that time the Executive has had a small committee which selects a student each year to receive the Les and Sonia Andrews award which is presented by them at the Big Clay Day Out in December. The grant of $2,000 is provided to help the successful person develop their career in ceramics.

The award for 2009 was shared by Yuko Takahashi and Jacqui Brown.

While I am enjoying experimenting with forms and glazes, I still return to traditional Japanese forms. After seven years working in Auckland, I really appreciate the atmosphere at the ASP: there is continuous support and encouragment from friends and teachers. Recently, I have become conscious of how lucky I was to grow up in Kyushu, (southern Japan), where pottery was a big part of my everyday environment.
These pots are taken from my 2009 exhibition.

My ceramic career started in Japan where I was fortunate to work under some master potters in Seto and Tajimi. From there I moved to Italy and gained some technical experience making majolica ware. On returning to New Zealand I joined ASP and have just spent four years completing the Otago Diploma of Ceramics which I completed in 2009. My first love is making domestic ware on the wheel but I'm expanding into sculpture. I have to keep my studio spotlessly clean as my preferred clays are terracotta or porcelain.

Recipients to date have been:
2008	Helen Perrett
2007	Al Wheldale
2006	Jo-Anne Raill
2005	Charade Honey
2004	Simon Leong
2003	Alex Whyte

The Auckland Studio Potters Domestic Ware Award

This is an annual competition sponsored by Tony Bacon to promote and reward excellence in the creation of high-quality domestic ware in clay.

Entry is open to any financial member of the ASP, including students.

The work must be fully functional domestic ware, including (but not limited to) cooking vessels, tableware, bowls, vases, storage vessels.

2009 Award

This year the Domestic ware awards were held in the studio at ASP. The wheels magically disappeared and were replaced with plinths; the tables draped themselves in fine linen and wine, and the wedging table disappeared and came back as an hors d’oeuvres table. The stars, of course, the actual pots on display. Everyone agreed that this year the standard of pots was the best yet. Thanks to Tony Bacon for once again sponsoring this award and helping to reward fine potters in their domestic ware endeavours. Margaret Sumich talked about how she judged the winning pots. Being domestic ware, she first and foremost looked at function: Did the piece do what it was put forward to do? In other words, did the pourers pour and the handles hold? Rough bottoms, she said, still a wee problem. You can’t really expect your customer to be pleased when your pot makes their French polish look like the Mururoa atoll. Second deciding factor was form: This helped Margaret get down to about 12 pots based on which forms appealed and were pleasing to the eye. And then the really hard job of picking the winners. Congratulations to Elena Renker for "bowls that were beautifully thrown and beautiful to hold". And Margaret couldn’t really separate the large platter from the 3 bowls, so they were all winners.

Helen Perrett

Principal Award

Elena Renker

Merit Awards

Steve Bailey

Kathy Baird

Grancy Fu

Helen Perrett

Peter Shearer

Judge: Margaret Sumich

I am a vessel maker: whether thrown and altered or handbuilt using slab, or pinch-and–coil, each form is based on a vessel. My larger pieces are made in 2 or 3 parts to enable them to fit in my kiln - which is a challenge in itself. Recently I have gone in the opposite direction as far as size goes, and am looking at the body as a vessel.

My interest in low-fired techniques began about 15 years ago with the Raku process: the pieces are heated in a small kiln (in my case fueled with wood) to between 950 and 1000 degrees centigrade, then removed hot from the kiln and plunged into combustible matter (sawdust, shavings, paper, leaves etc.) and covered for between 5 and 30 minutes for post-firing reduction . I mostly like to achieve the freedom of the flame on the pot rather than the rigidity of applied decoration, hence my chosen methods of firing using mainly wood as fuel. I have recently rebuilt my wood kiln, and have been firing to around 1200 degreesC, and enjoying a further glaze challenge.

After many years firing a diesel kiln I now enjoy salt firing my domestic ware at ASP. There is much satisfaction in making good functioning domestic pieces that are beautiful as well as a pleasure to use.

Previous Years

2008

2007