The work:Sarah Keirle, Seedpod Series No.199, Banksia grandis collection, 2022. Raku ceramic, 13 x 27 x 13cm. Courtesy: the artist.
The Australian bush can be a strange and astonishing place, especially with those unfamiliar with its bizarre flora. Coming from the Cotswolds in the United Kingdom, artist Sarah Keirle’s understanding of the natural landscape could not have been more different. This has bestowed upon her a unique perspective, drawing the ceramicists’ eye to parts of the natural world that are often overlooked by those more familiar with it. Her Seedpod Series aims to capture the smaller, underappreciated parts of her home in Perth Hills, finding their forms in seedpods found across the Darling Range and its Jarrah-Marri forests. A biodiversity hotspot, this is a rich area to explore, but one that is increasingly threatened by climate change and regular bushfires. Utilising sculptural realism, the artist uses white Raku clay to replicate seedpods, a medium which is apt for illustrating these extraordinary forms. Though fragile, much like the delicate ecosystem of the bush, these Raku vessels are subjected to high temperature and reducing atmosphere which blacken the surface of the clay. By creating vessels that seek to honour their natural counterparts, Keirle’s works are a testament to the hope these seed pods symbolise.