ceramics

Wellington based ceramist, Katherine Smyth worked as a chef for 8 years before embarking on a 3-year ceramics diploma in 1989 at the National Art School in Sydney, Australia.

From 1992 until 1998 she was mostly based in London (both potting and cooking). She designed crockery for a number of prominent eating establishments in London including The Sugar Club and The Union Cafe.

In1998, Katherine returned to New Zealand where she has worked as full time potter ever since.

Her work is held in a number of major public and private collections including: Auckland Museum, Te Papa Museum, Dowse Art Museum and the Wallace Arts Trust, New Zealand.

London Design Museum, England

NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs Collection- Wellington (NZ), Hong Kong (China),Jakarta (Indonesia), London (England), New York (USA), Ottawa (Canada), Teheran (Iran)

Curriculum Vitae

Training

1989-1991: Diploma of Fine Arts- Ceramics, National Art School, Sydney, Australia
1982-1984: City and Guilds Chef training, Wellington and Auckland polytechnics, NZ

Professional activities

Since completing her diploma Katherine Smyth has travelled extensively, especially around the Middle East. In 1993, she worked in a small village near the city of Petra in Jordan, alongside English potter Jim Mason. The project was to teach pottery skills to young village women with the aim of reviving some ancient skills. Emphasis was on pottery made by the Nabateans [who built Petra] and other traditional potters from the region.

In 1994 Katherine accompanied a group of archaeologists from Sydney University to work on a Middle Bronze Age site in the North of Jordan.

From 1995 till June 1998 Katherine was based in London working from Great Western Studios near Portobello Road. She also worked part-time as a chef at London's Sugar Club. She worked alongside head chef Peter Gordon to design and produce crockery for the restaurant and for Gordon's cookbooks.

In 1998 Katherine returned to New Zealand, basing herself in Wellington. She produced a series of tall hand-built vases heavily influenced by Bronze Age shapes and two ranges of domestic ware, one of which was designed to work in with the homewares range of the Australian textile company, Cloth.

Since 1998 Katherine has continued to work as a full-time potter, selling and exhibiting throughout NZ and continuing to export to the UK for The Sugar Club.

In 2001 she designed and produced tableware for Chow restaurant in Wellington. She has guest lectured at Unitec in Auckland, Massey University in Wellington and The National Art School in Sydney, Australia.

In 2003 Katherine was awarded a Professional Development Grant by the Arts Board of Creative New Zealand to travel back to the Middle East and surrounding regions for further research of Bronze Age pottery.

In 2004 she was awarded a grant to develop a new body of work in response to her research.