New Zealand Studio Potters and their use of local Materials
With support from the Creative New Zealand Fellowship Fund, I have been able to immerse myself in the diaries and glaze journals of many first-wave New Zealand studio potters to discover which local ingredients they used and where they were sourced, identify a regional New Zealand glaze palette, and document recipes unique to Aotearoa.
It has always astonished me just how difficult it is to identify the glaze used on a pot. The documented history of New Zealand studio pottery pays little attention to glazes and materials. This differs greatly from the regional pottery traditions of, say, Japan and China, where glazes are often known by their place of origin—perhaps more so than the potters themselves.
New Zealand Studio Potters magazine has also been an invaluable source of knowledge. It is wonderful to have such a rich and well-documented history of New Zealand pottery. It is equally important that we keep this knowledge alive by continuing to practice, share, and build upon it.
Barry Brickell
1935 - 2016
With the support of the Creative New Zealand Fellowship Fund, I have been able to take the time to recreate more than eighty glaze recipes from Barry Brickell's journals that use New Zealand materials as their base. Many of these materials were already familiar to me through my work with Minna Bondy's research. Transcribing scrawled notes, sourcing materials, and stepping back in time has brought these recipes back into living knowledge.
It has been incredibly valuable to watch these glaze recipes come to life and to compare them with Brickell's pots.
n May 2026, I presented this research at Objectspace as part of Martino Gamper's Engrained exhibition. The exhibition invited the public to interact with Gamper's work and hosted a series of events centred around his domestic tables and chairs. I took this opportunity to speak about my research into rock glazes, recent travel in Japan and China, and to display my work.
Stitchbury's Journals with references to Taranaki papa and Hamadas visit
Stitchbury's Journals with references to Taranaki papa and Hamadas visit
Minna Bondy
1916 - 1993
I believe Minna Bondy is one of the most overlooked influences on the New Zealand studio pottery movement. Her book "New Zealand Rock Glazes" was published in 1960, and in the years leading up to its publication, she was documenting and researching New Zealand glaze materials.
Her presence within the studio pottery community is noted throughout the early issues of New Zealand Potters magazine. She writes of working on kilns and ball mills with Barry Brickell and Helen Mason, and her deep understanding of New Zealand materials can be seen in the work of many of her contemporaries, with whom she generously shared this knowledge.
Peter Stitchbury
1924 - 2015
When I first started working with Taranaki papa, one of the early recipes I was given was by Peter Stitchbury: a silky satin glaze, rich tenmoku brown with a shimmer of green in the light. I later found several other recipes he had contributed to the small publication 'Glazes of Godzone '.
Before travelling to Japan, I spent time with Stitchbury's archive at Te Papa. Of particular interest were his notes on Shoji Hamada's visit to New Zealand and introducing Hamada to this material.
Stitchbury's work with papa is also well documented in Stan Jenkins' educational series on New Zealand potters, where he is shown collecting roadside papa and making glazes in his studio.
Carrick and Margaret Oliver
One of my happy places is an op shop, and over many years I have used my local hospice as a source of ceramic inspiration. One person's work always stood out: the work of Carrick Oliver. In March of 2026 at WOMAD New Zealand, I was approached by a man who was drawn to my glazes... Carrick's son, Justin, he immediatly reconised the glazes, and he invited me to meet his family. Carrick worked alongside Peter Stitchbury, and it was wonderful to hear first-hand accounts of collecting glaze materials in Taranaki. Carrick attributed the first Papa recipes to Roy Cowan who helped start New Zealand Potters Magazine in Wellington in 1957. Again a time when Minna Bondy was conducting her research and mentioned in the first edition of the magazine.
Harry and May Davis
I intended to travel to Nelson and delve into the archive of Harry and May Davis, influential figures in the New Zealand studio pottery movement. There was extensive flooding in the Nelson region in 2025, and I decided to postpone my trip until Nelson Clay Week in October 2026.
I did, however, find May Davis' book, which was a fantastic read and referenced many of the places where glaze materials were collected.
I particularly loved May's reflection on Stan Jenkins' film about their lives: "He also took great trouble to ensure the film was about me as well as Harry. People always seemed to be acclaiming 'the great man', forgetting that ours had been a partnership."
This reflects a broader theme in New Zealand pottery, where the contributions of women have often been overlooked. I have slowly been working on a film script that revisits this history, restoring women potters to the narrative of New Zealand ceramics.