Britt Neech
Melbourne-based contemporary artist Britt Neech from Clae Studio creates beautifully crafted clay ceramics that focus on unique yet timeless design.
Words: Georgie Ward I Photography: Lauren Bamford & Jess Brohier
‘I’ve now been working with clay for six years and I’m so happy that it’s become what I do full-time,’ says Britt. Photo: Jess Brohier
‘My pieces have a sense of order and balance which I hope fosters a sense of calm in the people who view my work,’ says Britt. Photo: Jess Brohier
The founder of Clae Studio Britt Neech finds tranquility in her full-time job as a ceramist, sculpting with clay as a form of meditative practice. Britt enjoys bearing witness to the transformation that the clay undergoes, from a malleable material to hard ceramic, and all stages in between.
All her pieces are made by hand in small batches resulting in beautiful variances, showcasing the process as well as the intrinsic beauty of the ceramic material.
As a child, Britt loved to create art, forging a career path as a successful artist her parents were always encouraging of all her creative pursuits.
After starting a fashion and textiles degree, Britt found the lack of scope to achieve her full creativity was holding her back, this is when she enrolled in a ceramics course, started experimenting with the clay medium and landed her unwavering passion.
Her works honour the natural earthy colours of the clay, however recently Britt has added vivid pops of colour to her ceramic pieces.
‘I found it hard to resist the pop of bright Yves Klein Blue that I’ve started to include in my collection. The colour reminds me of the ocean and has such a deep quality to it - like if you were to stare at it for too long it might just pull you in,’ says Britt.
Her handcrafted pottery takes references from her original collection to create shapes that are new and exciting but still compliment the range. Britt’s process splices elements of previous designs, re-forming and re-imagining in different ways.
Her pieces take inspiration from anything she finds intriguing, from museums and architecture to books and nature, ‘I take lots of photos of random shapes in the footpaths, or on ceilings, or of a shadow, and all these things combine and cultivate in my brain to spark new ideas,’ she adds.
There’s no such thing as a typical day at Britt’s Mornington Peninsula home studio. Her days are filled with sculpting and shaping pieces for stockists, working on a collection for an exhibition, packing her kiln, working on new glazes, designing new forms, managing her website and packing orders.
Britt’s work will feature in her first upcoming solo-show at the Michael Reid gallery in Sydney’s Northern Beaches from the 20th - 30th of April.
In this exhibition, Britt’s work embraces simplicity in sculptural form and surface decoration, inviting contemplation of the small details that emerge from process and material alike.
‘I make my pieces using the hand building techniques of coiling and slab building and I love exploring the results that can be achieved using such simple methods,’ says Britt. Photo: Britt Neech
“The creative outlet is what’s most rewarding to me – even if nobody ever saw my work, I’d still make it.”
‘I see my designs as a point of convergence between ancient traditions and modern visual language, I try to balance and honour both,’ says Britt Neech. Photo: Lauren Bamford for Craft Victoria
‘I love when I get the opportunity to work on projects that give me the freedom to extend my practice and explore new things,’ says Britt Neech. Photo: Jess Brohier
All of Britt Neech’s pieces are made by hand in small batches resulting in beautiful variances. Photo: Jess Brohier
‘When choosing clay bodies and colours to work with I just go with what feels right to me at the time,’ says Britt Neech. Photo: Jess Brohier
