SUE RUTHERFORD
CERAMICS
Sue Rutherford works from her studio in Lake Hawea. Her work is an exploration of colour and texture inspired by the effects of light and ageing on architecture, artefacts and landscape.
Sue studied sculpture at the University of Nottingham, receiving a BA(Hons) in 1984. She discovered clay when on arrival in New Zealand in 1991 she joined the Maniototo pottery group. Her technique of layering vitreous slip onto hand-built or wheel-thrown vessels, vases and bowls creates a rugged texture, in stark contrast with the glaze on the inside.
Sue likes to work quickly and intuitively on each piece and her aim is to create individual vessels to celebrate the imperfections of nature.
“In my work, I try to capture an appreciation of natural form and landscape, of weathering and corrosion – the glazing process involves thick layers of slips and reactive and eruptive glazes, creating rich textural surfaces.”
