Finalists announced for Waiclay National Ceramics Award

Forty-eight finalists from throughout New Zealand have been selected from 90 entrants for the Waiclay National Ceramics Award 2008. The finalists' entries will go on display at Waikato Museum this week as part of an exhibition also featuring work by some of the country's most well known ceramic artists.

The Waiclay National Ceramic Award is renowned for promoting excellence in claywork – attracting entries by the country's most talented ceramic artists from as far as Dunedin and Kaitaia. This year is the fourth time the Waiclay National Ceramics Award has been held, with the inaugural event taking place in 2001 and going on to be held every two years.

With finalists selected by prominent artist Janet DeBoos, this year's exhibition aims to inspire visitors with a diverse and interesting range of different ceramic styles. It will feature 123 objects including work by specially invited guest artists Barry Brickell, Peter Collis, Penny Ericson, Mike O'Donald, Mark Mitchell, Peter Lange and Wi Taepa; and will showcase more unusual works including one piece created entirely from glaze.

"Judging and selecting for any ceramic exhibition is a privilege, and it puts the judge in a position of considerable responsibility," said DeBoos.

"I consider the participants, the audience and the content, coupled with the responsibility to oneself to choose the exhibited works with integrity. I hope my choices reflect the aims and aspirations of Waiclay and that the exhibition presents the works in their infinitely varied and variable expressions."

Waikato Museum Director Kate Vusoniwailala said the Museum is proud of its association with the event.

"The Waiclay National Ceramics Award successfully showcases another facet to the visual arts offer here at Waikato Museum," she said.

This year's winner will be announced at the awards ceremony and opening function this Friday [12 December]. As well as the premier award of $2000 sponsored by Waiclay, there will also be a Waikato award specifically for local potters of $750 sponsored by Waikato Society of Potters, and a merit award of $500 sponsored by Heritage Gallery (Cambridge).

The finalists' work will be exhibited at Waikato Museum from 13 December until 15 March 2009 and all works will be for sale.

The exhibition will also be supported with educational and public programmes aimed at encouraging participation in clay work. These programmes, held on 13-14 December, will include a judge's talk, forum, lecture and demonstration by Janet DeBoos, and 'Clay for Kids' session.

The full list of finalists is:

Name	Location	Title of work	Details	Catalogue number
Darryl Frost	Tasman	Looking at Yourself	Anagama woodfired, flax fibre clay	1
Darryl Frost	Tasman	Princess Vase	Anagama wood fired	2
Rick Rudd	Wanganui	Teapot	Earthenware	3
Rick Rudd	Wanganui	Teapot	Earthenware	4
Elena Renker	Auckland	2 Shino Vessels	Stoneware	7
Elena Renker	Auckland	Shino Pot	Stoneware	8
Brendan Adams	Auckland	Flight#8(void, ribs, skin, matter)	Eathenware, brass, ceramic/cement fondue	11
Brendan Adams	Auckland	States of Matter(void, substance, structure, appearance)	Earthenware, Paperclay, Brass, Stainless steel, ceramic/cement fondue	12
Renee Boyd	Auckland	Home, land and Sea	Stonewareclay wall sculpture	13
Graham Ambrose	Auckland	Galaxy 150	Earthenware	21
Owen Bartlett	Nelson	The Deep	Airated clay	24
Fran Maguire	Blenheim	Group of three cups (Old English Roses-Cynthia Rose Purley-Poor little dutch boy)	Stoneware	28
Anne Powell	Taupo	Shard Series 1	Porcelain, with glass shards	29
Anne Powell	Taupo	Shard Series 2	Porcelain, with glass shards	30
John Roy	Tauranga	Fall	earthenware	31
Helen Yau	Auckland	High Definition of Blue	Porcelain	32
Helen Yau	Auckland	WaiMagic	Porcelain stoneware	33
Caroline Earley	Nelson	Spring-white	stoneware	34
Caroline Earley	Nelson	Spring-blue	stoneware	35
Nicole Kolig	Dunedin	Pure	plinth-pureSTWclay, leaves+pureArcanum Glaze	36
Nicole Kolig	Dunedin	Purely Glaze	Pure highfired three dimensional glaze	37
Peter Collis	Auckland	Still Life (Grey)		39
Duncan Shearer	Hamilton	Oil, Vinegar, Lemon	Woodfired soda glazed	41
Yi-Ming Lin	Leeston	Rolling Horse	Stoneware Paper Clay	43
Anneke Borren	Wellington	Set of 2 Floating Vases	Highfired stoneware - thrown	46
Jamie Quirk	Gisborne	Majority Decision Eye16 Noses8	Raku	48
Robert Rapson	Wellington	Opening Night Art Swank	Earthenware Stoneware Ceramic	49
Robert Rapson	Wellington	Shaw Savill Liner 'Southern Cross'	Earthenware Stoneware Ceramic	50
Simon Leong	Wellington	Free Wise Men	Earthenware salt glazed	52
Jenni Taris	Hamilton	Naked Clay	Terracotta, Burnished, terrasigullatta	53
Rene Goodfellow	Auckland	Metrosideros excelsa	Stoneware	54
Jane Matua	Rotorua	Collective	Rotorua wild clay stoneware	58
Rachel Carter	Auckland	Soft thrown bowls	Porcelain	61
Aimee McLeod	Wellington	Taniwha Series (Higgle and Jiggle)	Stoneware	62
Rod Davies	Kaitaia	Koru design ceramic panels	Terracotta	65
Fiona Tunnicliffe	Putaruru	Mrs Worthingtons Horse	none	66
Fiona Tunnicliffe	Putaruru	Cubist Horse	none	67
Gail Drake	Cambridge	Opening Night	Earthenware	68
Cheryl Oliver	Tauranga	"Adrift"	UV clay	70
Gaeleen Morley	Hawkes Bay	Teapot Form	Ceramic Earthenware	76
Gaeleen Morley	Hawkes Bay	Teapot Form	Ceramic Earthenware	77
Cat Thompson	Tauranga	My left I'	earthenware, glaze	78
Maureen Allison	Matamata	Earth Jug	roadside slips, oxides, woodfired & electric fired	79
Merren Goodison	Raglan	Dream Thief	Stoneware	81
Merren Goodison	Raglan	Summer	Paperclay	82
Susan Flight	Raglan	Farm Boy'	earthenware with slips	84
Tim Holman	Unknown	Wahines little sister	Woodfired - local clay	87
John Parker	Auckland	Lattice Bowl	Paperclay	91