Country and colour in clay
- Maricelle’s two homes, South Africa and Australia, inform the aesthetics of her pots
- The layers and colour combinations of her works are inspired by textiles and wildlife
- Her signature lines have evolved from being hand painted to using a slip trailer
For Maricelle Olivier, South Africa and Australia come together to define her creative expression. Though the patterns present in both cultures are different, they align conceptually. After finishing her master's at the National Art School, Maricelle managed the Ceramics Studio at Ernabella Arts, the country's oldest, continuously running Indigenous Art Centre in South Australia’s Pukatja community. Here, she noticed the similarities in the landscapes of her two homes. “The bush in Australia is very similar to the safari lands of South Africa: the dry air, the buffalo grass,” says Maricelle. It is these terrains that inform the swollen vessels she hand builds, where, for example, colours lifted from the Australian galah meet patterned lines reminiscent of the vibrant textiles of her birthplace. "Creating these pots anchors my longing for the South Africa of my childhood, while harnessing the wonder I ahve for my chosen home’s wildlife," Maricelle explains.
Interview
- Why did you choose to create large scale objects?
- It was a challenge I set myself to make these big, round, generous works because I love the look of the pot swelling out. It is the challenge of achieving that curve that has kept me going back to the form. When I decorate it, it requires an full-body effort, and I love that feeling of being totally involved.
- How did your training help inform your practice?
- For my masters at the National Art School I researched the third space. I am originally from South Africa, and I was looking for a way to deal with the emotions around the fact that I will probably never move back to South Africa, yet continue to call it home. I really love living in Australia, and I wanted to bring these two points together in my work.
- How do you decide on the colour combinations for your works?
- I look at textiles a lot, which is where the layering concept in my work comes from. I am interested in how different colours work together. Once I started drawing out the colours from various Australian avifauna that became the basis of my palette. That was the swing point.
- Has your work evolved since you began?
- I originally painted the lines on my pots. Then I discovered the slip trailer. There was a lot of trial and error with this! I do not work on bone-dry pots, but the clay must not be very wet either, so there was a lot of learning about what to do at what stage. It took me over 10 years to get where I am today.
Maricelle Olivier is a rising star: she began her career in 2019 and she started teaching in 2022
Where
Maricelle Olivier
