A dialogue of paper and clay
- Susan has developed a distinctive ceramic language with printmaking elements
- Her sculptural forms are built from hammered porcelain ribbons
- Large-scale pieces explore ideas of light, fragility and complexity
Susan Collett creates sculptural forms and pieces influenced by nature in her ceramic practice. She is recognised with designations from the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (RCA) and the International Academy of Ceramics (IAC). Originally trained as a printmaker, a craft she continues to pursue in tandem with ceramics, she discovered clay late in her studies. Over time, she has developed an unconventional technique within her ceramics work that integrates wire armatures and finely hammered porcelain strips. Susan’s sculptures play with translucency, shadow and the idea of life as layered and cumulative. "I use light and how it plays through stacked clay platelets to explore the idea of fragility," she says.
Interview
- When did you first realise the potential of bringing clay and printmaking together?
- I trained in printmaking, but in my final year the ceramics department saw my woodcuts and encouraged me to try experimenting with clay. I have developed a language that incorporates both. My line work fed the clay, and the relief work fed the prints.
- Do you have a signature technique?
- I create hand built pieces using wire and hammered porcelain ribbons. This technique creates shifting layers of light and shadow. I enjoy using that translucency to visual effect. It reflects my broader interest in life’s cumulative nature.
- How do your two creative practices influence each other?
- I maintain a rigorous studio discipline, balancing experimentation, drawing and monoprinting with ceramics. While my clay pieces rest or dry, I work on my prints. When my printing pauses, I return to my sculptures. The two practices speak to each other: light, line and shadow recur across both without being planned.
- How does your creative process unfold?
- I am constantly drawing. My sketchbooks are full of buildings, travel scenes and quick studies. They might have nothing to do with my finished pieces, but they keep me fluid and ready for the next project. I consider them my well of inspiration.
Susan Collett is a master artisan: she began her career in 1993
Works
Where
Susan Collett
