Sandra Black doesn’t adhere to a singular style of making. For more than 50 years, the master ceramicist has explored a vast territory of techniques and subjects—what she calls “taking the side roads”—from carving and piercing, to colouring with stains and glazing, to wheel throwing and slip casting, to the use of decals, and varied imagery inspired by nature, travel and love.

Working from her light-filled Fremantle studio since 1988, Black is best known for her distinctive carved and pierced porcelain vessels, which are held in collections from the US, to Japan and the Netherlands. Delicate and ethereal, they exude a soft, translucent quality, like fine lace. Black’s expansive practice is currently celebrated in Holding Light at the Art Gallery of Western Australia, her first comprehensive career survey.

Place

Sandra Black: I bought this house in South Fremantle in 1986. I’d just finished a residency at the Canberra School of Art, and then did some teaching in Bendigo because I needed some money so I could afford to drive back over the Nullabor. In 1988, I converted my garage into a studio and I’ve been working here ever since. We had to do a lot of work on it. We re-roofed it, poured new concrete floors and put in new windows and doors. I also had really heavy-duty work benches made up, one by my father and another by a friend. I had a lot of people who were sort of handy around me, who could do things at a good price, or in exchange for a pot. The most important things, obviously, are my three kilns: two electric and one gas. I don’t spend as much time here anymore. I used to be in the studio seven days a week because I loved it so much, but as I’ve gotten older, the pressure isn’t quite so much. I spend a lot more time on the computer these days—responding to galleries and clients and prepping stuff for my students, as I still teach. But I love that this is my space. Nobody else comes in here [but] my husband, an actor. He has his own little studio to do his reading and voicework, and painting, which he’s taken up as a hobby. So, we just enjoy having our own quiet, creative spaces to work in. It’s just my special place.

Process

Sandra Black: One of the things that people have criticised about my practice is the many different styles I work across. But it’s the nature of my interest and the way I work. I’m not a person who likes to go on a journey from point A to point B in a straight line. I always take the side roads, the diversions and things that catch my interest. Much of my work is inspired by nature, and that comes from my childhood growing up on a farm in East Gippsland, Victoria. I was fascinated by all living things, particularly small and minute things. So there’s all sorts of things that come into my pots. But I suppose the most consistent techniques are my carving and piercing. Initially, I started out with pins and little drill bits and needles to drag through the clay. And then we tried the pendant drill that jewellers use, and finally I found the Dremel drill, with the help of a dentist friend who gave me some fine drill bits. I do love throwing, too. There’s a very sensuous quality to the porcelain, it’s soft and silky. These days I probably do more slip casting, which is an easier sort of process in some ways, but it’s just another way of making. And when you open the kiln door and the pots are perfect, that’s a special, magic moment. It doesn’t always work out, but I have my coping mechanisms: I get out the hammer, smash them and drop them on the floor. Quality control!

Projects

Sandra Black: 

My exhibition [Holding Light at the Art Gallery of Western Australia] came as a bit of a surprise. People were saying to me, “When are you having your retrospective?”. But I hadn’t heard anything about it. And this went on for months, everyone knew except me! Then one day I got the email. I was a bit shocked because there are many brilliant artists out there working in my field, but I suppose I was chosen because I was one of the first to work mostly in porcelain and in a way that was different to other people. Somebody told me many years ago to keep samples of all your work, which has really come in handy for the exhibition because it features pretty much every style of work I’ve ever done. I’ve even got some Raku birds I created in a workshop back in the early 70s. Those works are special to me as the workshop was run by Joan Campbell, who became a very important mentor and teacher. I called her my ‘clay mum’. She was a beautiful soul. All my pots have been tucked away in cupboards for years, so seeing them all set up so beautifully was just incredible. It’s been lovely but it’s still a bit surreal. Next up, I’ll be working towards my solo exhibition at Art Collective WA in late 2025. I’m thinking I might do a road trip starting from Albany and travelling up the coast to the Pilbara and absorbing the landscapes for inspiration. So that’s just an idea I’m playing with at the moment. Other than that, I don’t have any plans.

Sandra Black: Holding Light
Art Gallery of Western Australia
On now—16 February

This article was originally published in the January/February 2025 print issue of Art Guide Australia.