Simone Fraser

Ceramicist

©Greg Piper

Vessels as a ground for self-expression and skill

Simone uses vessels as a canvas to explore symbolism and metaphors
She uses coiling, throwing and surface manipulation techniques in her process
Her journey started when her artist mother brought her to ceramic classes

Simone Fraser has been practising ceramics since the early 1980s and has developed a unique style for her vessels. "To me, ceramics and the dry glaze process are inspired by life in the Australian landscape and its colour palette," she says. Simone begins her crafting process by coil throwing, before turning to a combination of hand building and wheelwork, where she shows the softness and malleability of clay. She dries the surface of her creations with a gas burner, and then layers the work with coloured slips or liquid clays. After a bisque firing, a thin dry watercolour glaze is applied, with the glaze pooling over the heavily textured surface. Simone sees her creations as icons, symbols and metaphors for her story. In some of her pieces, Simone accentuates details with 24-carat gold lustre.

Interview

©Andrew Fraser

©Greg Piper

When did you know you wanted to work with clay?: My mother was a talented artist who brought me to ceramic classes when I was 13. It became a lifelong passion that we shared from that moment on. I pursued ceramics, attending The Canberra School of Art, now ANU, and a postgraduate at Monash University. These were the seeds that sprouted the artist in me.
How do you find inspiration in vessels?: Ceramic traditions, specifically Middle Eastern ceramics, were a focal point in my student days. The vessel, as a constant in most cultures, is an important historical influence. I use the vessel form as it provides a common language between the viewer and myself.
How does your process inform your practice?: Process and content are interdependent and mutually enriching. Skills are not merely mechanical and easily learnt, they do not threaten self-expression and creativity. They are intrinsic to the work. I feel there is creativity in processes.
What are some of your most influential projects?: An Idea Needing To Be Made was an opportunity to exhibit my work with high-profile international artists at Heide Museum of Modern Art in Melbourne. It was a fitting follow-up to my induction into the International Academy of Ceramics based in Geneva, the previous year.

Simone Fraser is a master artisan: she began her career in 1981 and she started teaching in 1985