BAD - Art Beyond Any Definition

Explore a deeply personal journey of making, where earth, clay, fire and paint become vehicles for discovery, reflection and meaning.

Through the transformation of clay in the kiln and the process of glazing, these works reveal an ongoing exploration of creativity, construction, surprise and the unexpected. Each object carries the story of its making, from moments of meditation and satisfaction to experimentation, disappointment and discovery.

About the artist

Collyn Gawned is a ceramic artist from the Great Southern region of Western Australia, known for collaborative pottery installations like 100 Chawan. Working alongside fellow ceramicist Linda Chambers and sound artist Nat Rad, Gawned crafts meditative, tactile tea bowls exploring earth, water, and form.

Artist statement

I make objects from earth/clay. That provides me with immense satisfaction.

Making is often a meditation, sometimes it is solving a puzzle of construction, or it’s an exploration that leads nowhere but the journey has been interesting. At other times it’s a bitter disappointment.

Mostly it’s about the journey of making something from earth, subjecting it to fire and to have it emerge completely changed that inspires me.

Not all objects I make are pleasing; most are surprising.

And I paint to seek meaning…

Why My Works Are Not for Sale

My works are not merchandise, they are not ‘goods’… they’re a journey, they’re a diary, they’re personal…

The fact of their being – I made them as well as I could – and their beauty, to me, is their value.

There is no other value…