CLASH: where Clay meets Ash
Suvira McDonald
The title of this exhibition is perhaps a little misleading in terms of kiln dynamics. The floating particles of ash that pass through the kiln chamber tend to land rather softly on the surfaces they eventually glaze. However, CLASH is a catchy phrase—phonetically rich—and in a world already populated by wood-fired exhibitions, it’s difficult to devise a new title that cuts through.
What characterises the wood firings we do, above all, is the team behind them. I want to acknowledge the tireless work of my colleagues who fire with me and prepare the kiln at Middle Pocket Pottery. Without the team, there would be no firing—especially given that preparing the wood is a mammoth task in itself. This exhibition offers a glimpse of what lies ahead in the coming years, as the kiln continues to assert its place in the ceramic community of the NSW Northern Rivers and the national wood-fire landscape.
I warmly welcome my colleagues Venessa Skye, Cara Asherovitch, Kiriko Satsuma, and Carly Pascoe to exhibit with me at Makers Gallery. Each of them brings a unique voice to the possibilities of wood-fired ceramics—now and into the future.
As for my own work in this show, you’ll find that my practice is woven from many threads, each expressing different aspects of who I am. I bring with me the influences and realisations of many years, and each time I return to the potter’s wheel or bench, I find a different internal composure. If this suggests a kind of mutability, so be it—I’m quite happy to be the author of variation. These variations often appear in clusters—each one a line of enquiry—and the CLASH exhibition reflects that. What unifies the work is the wood-fired surface, itself a study in variation.
That surface—the product of ash deposits and the swirling vapours of the kiln atmosphere—is the culmination of weeks of preparation, days of packing, and the intense ritual of firing. It’s arduous (and also fun), and it’s where true team bonding happens. The collegiate atmosphere is just as important as the kiln atmosphere. The results are always somewhat unpredictable, and always a great relief when they meet our hopes.
I rely on several factors; just two shino glazes, ash from the Sally Wattle and the many zones within the kiln. Even so, there are countless permutations—just a few of which are on display here in CLASH, where clay and ash meet.
Cara Asherovitch
Cara is a graduate of the Diploma of Cermaics (Lismore TAFE, 2020-2021) and holds a Masters in Psychology (Monash, Bond University 1996-2006). She specialises in wheel thrown pieces fusing functionality with sculptural beauty. Her forms are minimal and contemporary. Unglazed, the natural wood ash colours her pots, imparting them with unique, clean hues and captivating textures. She is continually exploring innovative methods to fire finely crafted, contemporary pieces in the wood kiln, seeking harmony between tradition and modernity. Her goal is to create pieces that not only serves a purpose but also enriches the soul, inviting contemplation and connection.
Venessa Stella Skye
Handcrafted by Venessa Skye in the Byron hinterland, these ceramic pieces were made using the ancient and durable method of wood firing. Fired for over 100 hours in her Anagama kiln Middle Pocket, NSW, each pot is touched by flame, fly ash and time. The lush surface was created by the unpredictable dance of fire and the chemistry of the kiln. Venessa uses only fallen wood from the surrounding land, honouring the natural cycle. Woodfire is a process and a discipline that’s both demanding and deeply connected to place.
Venessa’s approach blends intention with surrender. Glazes, slips and oxides are carefully applied, but it’s the fire that finishes the piece, leaving one-of-a-kind marks. Each unique piece feels both ritualistic and practical. All Venessa’s work is made to stand alone, with it’s own engaging presence. Look for the marks of process, soft finger touched edges, warping from heat and contrasting surfaces. These qualities are embraced rather than erased; the tell a story of how the piece came to be.
Venessa’s work values slowness, depth, and character. It’s not about perfection. It’s about our human connection to the earth, the fire and the moment.
Kiriko Satsuma
Kiriko Satsuma, Kiriko Ceramics, is an Osaka, Japanese born artist. After having relocated to Byron Bay in 2008, she now has her ceramics studio there.
Through her passion for cooking and tableware presentation Kiriko has attracted the attention of several restaurants supplying her original tableware. Inspired by the natural world, the elements of earth, wind, sky, ocean, and fire can be felt in Kiriko’s work.
In 2023, she participated in a six-month project to construct a wood firing kiln in Middle Pocket. Since then , she continues to explore and express hernative culture through woodfiring, infusing her work with a unique perspective and style.
Carly Pascoe – Ceramic Artist Norther Rivers, NSW
Carly Pascoe’s ceramic practice is an exploration of human consciousness and an evolving relationship with the inner landscape. Her earliest experiences with clay began in childhood, watching her mother at the potter’s wheel, an imprint that seeded a lifelong connection to the medium.
Through biomorphic forms, Carly expresses fluidity, movement, and the invisible threads of interconnectedness. Using soft lines and rounded forms that seem never to begin or end, her Sentient collection evokes a sense of animation within the inanimate. Each piece invites personal interpretation, offering a quiet space for reflection.
Working primarily through hand-building and intuitive shaping, she allows form to emerge naturally, guided by scale, instinct, and material responsiveness. Her studio is also a place of constant experimentation, testing aggregates, clay bodies, and firing methods to explore the boundaries of form and finish.
Each piece reflects an evolving practice, an ongoing investigation into materiality, perception, and the shared terrain of human experience.
