August Artist of the Month - Deirdre Hoban

From the first time I saw Deirdre Hoban's ceramic artworks I was intrigued and beguiled. There is a lovely light-heartedness to her pieces, something that reminds me of childhood - crafting with plasticine, stretching the material, squishing it between your fingers and marbling a mix of colours until they are unrecognisable.

In Deirdre's artist statement she begins with a series of questions, “Is that rubber/resin/fimo… what is that made of?... oh, it must be very delicate… how did you make the shapes…I love the sound it makes… it looks very heavy!... can I touch it?”

And these questions point to the curiosity and playfulness in her work and her pieces. Huge centrepieces in rhombic and dodecahedron like shapes are hand crafted, keeping with the organic nature of porcelain which is at the heart of her practice. Deirdre enjoys playing with scale in her designs - bold geometrics dance on thick natural rope around the wearer's neck. They are brave but never heavy or imposing.

Here are a few shots from Deirdre's studio and pieces during the making process:

 Fro more information on Deirdre's work www.deirdre.com.au