Sally Walk

Artist Profile

Biography

In her latest work Sally Walk embarks upon unfamiliar territory. Personally driven by order, monotony and sameness puts the artist at ease and in her practice, creating a familiar script to follow. A technically exceptional and highly regarded ceramicist, this has led the artist to aesthetically and technically ‘perfect’ forms. Walk’s foundational drive to structure her world was upset by the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, and the artist’s previous body of work, Perfection Flawed, made an attempt to counterbalance an intrusion upon order by imposing and exaggerating strict rules of symmetry and balance.

This work is about the exact opposite. Now free to release that need for order, Walk introduces more sculpturally organic forms to her practice. Indeed, the artist has observed that her conceptions of perfection were hindering her ability to see beyond that which made her feel safe (technique, symmetry, order). With a newly re-discovered freedom, Walk has a new perspective on what is perfect, a perspective that finds it acceptable to be a little ‘off centre’. In this latest series of ceramic sculptures, there is a deliberate relinquish of control, finding the beauty in the hidden spaces of morphed organic forms.

Sally Walk is a Melbourne based ceramicist who has been working in clay for over 25 years. She has exhibited extensively both nationally and internationally. Most recently at Taoxichuan in Jingdezhen China. Among a slew of accolades, in 2022 she was awarded the North Queensland Ceramics Award and in 2015 she was awarded the Lorenzo il Magnifico Award for Ceramics at the Florence Biennale. Her work is held in private and public institutions internationally including the Yinnge Ceramics Museum (Taiwan) and Jingdezhen International Studio Collection (China)’ and the Seto Cultural Glass and Ceramics Museum in Seto (Japan). Walk is also a member of the UNESCO International Academy of Ceramics (IAC). Sally Walk makes her Sydney Contemporary debut with James Makin Gallery in 2022.

BIOGRAPHY

Exhibitions

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2022 ‘Relinquished Control’ James Makin Gallery, Melbourne AUSTRALIA
2021 Out of the Darkness, James Makin Gallery, Australia
2020 Humanity Re-Imagined, James Makin Gallery, Australia
2019 Community Collaborative Wall Sculputre, Yingge Ceramics Museum, Taipei, Taiwan
2018 New works, Artifact Gallery, New York
2018 New works, Suki and Hugh Gallery, Bungendore
2016 Semblance, Suki and Hugh Gallery, Bungendore
2015 Discourse, Briagalong Gallery, Briagalong
2012 My Gippsland, Town and Country Gallery, Gippsland
2011 Art Melbourne, Art Melbourne, Melbourne
2010 Journey on Every Line, The Dog and the Owl Gallery, Melbourne

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023 Summer New, James Makin Gallery, Melbourne
2022 Summer New, James Makin Gallery, Melbourne
2022 Sydney Contemporary, Carriageworks, Sydney
2022 ‘Design Week’ James Makin Gallery, Melbourne
2021 Sydney Contemporary IRL, James Makin Gallery, Melbourne
2021 Sydney Contemporary, Online
2021 Lockdown, James Makin Gallery, Melbourne
2020 Temperature, International Ceramic Art Exchange Exhibition, Fuzhou, Jiangxi, China
2020 Peace – Ceramic Art Dialogue, Marriot Hotel, Shenyang, China
2020 Summer New, James Makin Gallery, Melbourne
2019 Summer New, James Makin Gallery, Melbourne
2018 New Orientalia – Functionality, Spirituality, Diversity, International Academy of Ceramics members exhibition, Yingge Ceramics Museum, Taiwan
2018 Free Expression, International Academy of Ceramics members exhibition, Yingge Ceramics Museum, Taiwan
2018 Launching Exhibition, Ladder Art Space, Melbourne
2018 International Yaotou Kiln Ceramic Art Festival, Chen Cheng, Shanxi, China
2017 Hong Guang Zi Qi, International Ceramic Art Exhibition, Yixing, China
2016 Artisans in the Gardens, Sydney Botanical Gardens, Sydney
2016 Kerry Lowe Gallery, Sydney
2015 Florence Biennale, Italy
2015 New Zealand Ceramics Conference, New Zealand
2015 Changchun International Ceramics Symposium Exhibition, Changchun, China
2014 Cheongju International Biennale
2014 Contemporary Porcelain, Kerry Lowe Gallery, Sydney
2014 International Ceramics Association Exhibition, Li Zi Yuan Ceramics Museum, Zibo, China
2013 What’s Under the Bed? Bradley Hall Gallery, Victoria
2013 Macsabal Wanju Symposium, South Korea
2013 Fired Up, Kalakriti Gallery, Hyderabad, India
2012 International Ceramics Association Group Exhibition, Red Earth Gallery, Vadodara, India
2012 Resident Artists Exhibition, Seto Cultural Centre, Seto, Japan
2011 Travelling LIght, Bradley Hall Gallery, Victoria
2010 International Ceramics Association Group Exhibition, Qingdao, China
2010 International Ceramics Association Group Exhibition, Zibo, China
2010 Every other Colour, Bradley Hall Gallery, Victoria
2009 Residents Exhibition, Vallauris, France

Awards

AWARDS/RESIDENCIES/GRANTS
2022 Winner, North Queensland Ceramics Award, AUSTRALIA
2019 Artist residency, Yingge Ceramics Museum, Taiwan
2018 Martisons Ceramic Art Award (Latvia), shortlist
2017 Clunes Ceramic Art award, shortlist
2017 Manningham Victorian Ceramic Art Award, shortlist
2016 North Queensland International Ceramic Award, shortlist
2015 Lorenzo il Magnifico Award for Ceramics, Florence Biennale, winner
2014 Cheongju International Biennale (South Korea), honourable mention
2014 Gold Coast International Ceramics Art Award, shortlist
2013 Manningham Victorian Ceramic Award, shortlist
2012 Artist residency, Seto Cultural Centre AIR, Japan
2011 Shenzhen Cultural Fair (China), silver prize
2010 Shenzhen Cultural Fair (China), silver prize
2009 Artist residency, AIR Vallauris, France
1991-92 Artist residency, Meat Market Craft Gallery, Australia

ARTWORKS

Sally Walk Critter 9 2023 mid fired clay with underglaze, clear glaze and gold glaze. 16 x 19 x 13 cm $990.00 ENQUIRE →
Sally Walk Determination Scars 2023 porcelain clay, white raku clay, black clay, underglaze and clear glaze and gold crackle glaze 59 x 27 x 23 cm $3,200.00 ENQUIRE →
Sally Walk Apprehensive Step 2023 porcelain clay, white raku clay, black clay, underglaze and clear glaze 61 x 22 x 21 cm $3,500.00 ENQUIRE →
Sally Walk Fly With Me 2023 porcelain clay, white raku clay, black clay, underglaze and clear glaze 62 x 40 x 19 cm $3,500.00 ENQUIRE →
Sally Walk Fortuity 2022 Mid Fired Ceramic with black slip and clear glaze and copper glaze 48 x 29 x 27 cm $3,200.00 ENQUIRE →
Sally Walk Asymmetrical Balance 1 2022 Mid Fired Ceramic with black slip and clear glaze 109 x 52 x 38 cm $8,500.00 ENQUIRE →
Sally Walk Asymmetrical Balance 1 2022 Mid Fired Ceramic with black slip and clear glaze 108 x 56 x 42 cm $8,500.00 ENQUIRE →
Sally Walk Microscopic 4 2020 Porcelain with black under-glaze and clear glaze 23 x 26 x 29 cm $0.00 ENQUIRE →
Sally Walk Pandemic 2020 Black mid-fire clay, clear glaze and gold lustre 45 x 22 x 22 cm $2,200.00 ENQUIRE →
Sally Walk Uncertain times 2020 Black mid-fire clay, clear glaze and gold lustre 52 x 20 x 20 cm $2,200.00 ENQUIRE →