Discovering Art in the Colours of Nature

Pippin Drysdale – Discovering Art in the Colours of Nature

Somatheeram had a very dear guest this year too – the fun-loving, spirited and vivacious Ms. Pippin Drysdale! And what makes her ‘really special’? Pippin Drysdale is a sound, familiar name in the contemporary international art scenario. An internationally renowned Australian ceramic artist, Pippin has made an exceptional mark for herself in the art circles with her constant experimentation with colour, technique and form. The exquisitely coloured, glazed and incised porcelain vessels which she creates are unique masterpieces of art; each one with a distinctive identity of its own. These simple yet extremely elegant vessels offer a veritable visual feast for the keen-eyed art connoisseur.

Pippin Drysdale, born in Melbourne, Australia in 1943, is widely acclaimed as one of Australia's most outstanding ceramists. Pippin has numerous accomplishments to her credit, with her work being represented in various private and public collections throughout Australia and the world. including the National Gallery of Australia; Art Gallery of Western Australia; Holmes á Court Collection (Perth, WA), Tomsk State Gallery and Museum (Siberia), Auckland Museum and Art Gallery (New Zealand), Museum of Modern Art (Gifu Japan), Cheongju Museum and Art Gallery (Korea), Twenty-First Century Museum (Kanazawa Japan) and the Museo del Ceramica, Faenza, Italy.

An artist unparalleled, Pippin has also exhibited her works, nationally and internationally, in over forty solo exhibitions and 300 group shows. Honored with a Master of Australian Craft award, Pippin has always been actively involved in lectures, workshops and residencies across Australia and around the world. She has also taught in some of the most prestigious institutions such as the Swansea Art College (Wales), the Deruta Grazia Maioliche Factory (Italy), Princeton University (USA), and Tomsk University (Siberia).

A prominent feature that distinguishes most of her works is the profound preoccupation with the Australian landscape. Her personal affinity towards the Australian bush is partly inspired by her childhood days, which was for the most part spent on family properties in the north and south of Western Australia. A truly innovative artist, Pippin has been consistently breaking the barriers with fascinating new glazes, shapes and techniques. Her beautiful ceramic pieces stand out for their skillful craftsmanship, patterns and colouring, which reminds one of the markings found in nature. These scintillating porcelain forms are paradigms of beauty, invariably reflecting Drysdale's love of the vast Australian landscape.

Pippin is constantly on the lookout for places that have a special character such as the Tanami Desert in Central Northern Western Australia or the Hunsa Valley at the end of the Karakoram Highway in Pakistan. In a span of hours, these glowing colours, refined forms and the subtle patterns found in nature gets immaculately metamorphosed into exquisite porcelain vessels. As she herself says, “These works are the essence of my emotional experience and aesthetic reflection and are an elaborate technique to express my mental images”.

Pippin Drysdale has been a regular guest at Somatheeram, visiting the place for the thirteenth consecutive time! Somatheeram, with its verdant green, sun-kissed beaches and tranquil surroundings, has always been a favourite escapist haunt for the artist in her. A friendly encounter with Pippin would, in no time, convince you that she is a lady with a remarkable zest for living and an honest commitment towards her work. She is, indeed, a female Falstaff bubbling with energy, a rebel defying age-old conventions to explore new frontiers in art. We, at Somatheeram, sincerely wish her all the very best for her excellent artistic pursuits. Needless to say, we do look forward to meeting her next year too!

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