Ella Rhodes (she/her)
General Manager
Ella has been working with ceramics for seven years, and graduated from RMIT with a Bachelor of Fine Art (Ceramics) in 2021. She is particularly inspired by artists such as Leah Kaplan and Sharon Brill for their sculptural processes using porcelain, and is drawn to the fluidity and lines within nature and the human body. She loves to push porcelain beyond its material capabilities as this allows for the natural folding and cracking of the clay body in her sculptural works. Ella loves the challenge of a new form, and the sense of accomplishment that comes from mastering it.
Jack Parnaby (he/him)
Studio Manager/ Kiln Technician/ Teacher
Jack is a teacher and kiln technician for Kew. He has been working with clay for five years, learning the process from a college teacher. He draws influences from natural elements which involve a lot of neutral tones and interesting textures. Jack’s favourite part of the ceramics process is the moment a pot has just come out of the bisque firing.
Ellisa Foster (she/her)
Director of Education
Ellisa has been handbuilding and throwing for the last eight years, leaving her job as a school teacher to pursue her full time career as a ceramicist four years ago. Born into a line of potters, her adoration for ceramics combines with her extensive teaching experience to create the well rounded teaching curriculum seen at Ceramiques.
Ellisa draws inspiration from both the forms of Ancient Egyptian vessels and the colours and fluidity of the Renaissance era, with a deep appreciation for the intricacies of ceramic bodies of work. This is reflected in her own work, frequently getting lost in the meditative nature of the wheel throwing process and feeling empowered by the outcome of her creations.
Her years of experience includes understudying well known ceramicists both in Melbourne and overseas, elevating and inspiring the quality of staff and students at Ceramiques through her teachings.
Lauren Cameron (she/her)
Teacher
Lauren creates work using a variety of techniques including underglaze application and scraffito that creates one of a kind pieces. She has a passion for teaching, which has become a fundamental part of her practice and who she is as a ceramicist. Lauren draws inspiration from her grandmother who is a talented painter, and enjoys experimenting with pottery as an art form, utilising clay as her canvas.
Ami Fujiu (she/her)
Studio Manager/ Kiln Technician
Ami is Elsternwick’s kiln technician, and comes with eight years of ceramics experience and a diploma in ceramics. Ami has aspired to be a potter and kiln technician from a young age, and she has an extensive knowledge of ceramics processes. Her work is inspired by her Japanese heritage, with her work frequently reflecting Japanese techniques that aren’t commonly seen in Western pottery.
Elsie Bath (she/her)
Studio Hand
Elsie has been working with ceramics for four years and finds inspiration in making forms that enrich daily rituals. Elsie draws from nature in form and colour, leaning toward more neutral tones that bend into everyday life. She is also drawn to texture, not only in how a functional piece feels but also how raw clay can interact with the world around it. Elsie really enjoys starting a new piece and seeing how it evolves and also really likes holding warm bisque pieces as they come out of the kiln.
Emma Wilson (she/her)
Teacher
Emma acquired a love for ceramics five years ago, and holds an admiration for her craft. Fuelled by her passion for creating functional ceramics, Emma loves to pass her knowledge on to her students and brings her passion into each class.
Tiah Gordon (she/her)
Teacher
Tiah has been creating ceramics for the last three years, and loves the transformative journey that her pieces go on through each stage, but particularly in trimming as this is where her creations really take shape. The dynamic between form and colour in her pieces is a reflection of her creative spirit, as her glaze choices bring her pieces to life.
Sammy Godenzi (she/her)
Teacher
Sammy is our handbuilding teacher, and also runs our children's classes. She draws inspiration from nature, with the ocean as her muse. Clay has allowed her to indulge in moments of complete silence and peace as she forms her works, becoming entirely absorbed in the ceramic process.
Tegan (Tig) Harris (she/her)
Teacher
Tig started her ceramics journey by attending classes at the Céramiques studios in early 2022 and has been evolving her practice ever since. She began taking ceramics classes in an effort to prioritise a hobby amongst the business of life, but it quickly turned into a deep passion that she finds both relaxing and exciting. She draws a lot of inspiration from her Nan who loved and collected ceramics. Tegan finds the trimming process the most relaxing part of the ceramics process and has enjoyed developing her skills further with the guidance and inspiration of her colleagues at the Céramiques studios.
Anabelle Stonehouse (she/her)
Teacher
Anabelle has been working as a ceramic artist for 8 years. Her work is sculptural and feminine, forms of nature and the body influencing her work. Anabelle loves every step in ceramic making, her favourite process is joining and smoothing all of the surfaces and edges. She is a perfectionist, every detail is important. Anabelle is a Master of Fine Art student at RMIT, she wants to expand her ceramic practice and have a deeper understanding of her materials and concepts. She has a passion for teaching and supporting others in their journey with clay.
Olivia McCarten (she/her)
Teacher
Liv began working at Ceramiques in 2023 and is primarily a painter, but finds that a lot of her ceramic works feel like an extension of her painting work. Liv began her ceramics journey in a hand building workshop in her second year of her BFA in 2021. Ceramics was something that Liv always wanted to try - she loved doing the workshop, but felt like there was still so much to learn so she ended up completing another workshop in her the final year of her degree, that focused on both hand building and wheel throwing. Olivia’s practice explores bold colour and subject matters that feel nostalgic, creating conversation over shared experiences, which is what she aims to translate into her ceramic works. Liv’s favourite part of the ceramics process is collecting the final pieces from the kiln and the anticipation of waiting for the final reveal and getting to hold the completed ceramics in her hands.
Holly Cameron (she/her)
Studio Hand & Teacher
Holly has been working with ceramics just shy of a year, but comes from a family of artists and has played with clay ever since she was a young child. She enjoys handbuilding and non-traditional ceramics, and is influenced by the post modernist design era as well as her sister (Lauren) who is also a teacher here at Céramiques. Holly’s favourite part of the ceramics process is seeing how glazes turn out when fired.
Paris Riebeling (she/her)
Teacher
Paris has been working with ceramics for two years, originally coming to the Céramiques studios to attend classes. She most enjoys the throwing process of making and the freedom of letting the creative process take over and is influenced most by seeing her finished pieces enjoyed by those around her.
Larissa Zanoni (she/her)
Teacher
Larissa developed a passion for ceramics during the pandemic lockdown in 2020 and what started as a hobby, became her full-time job in 2022. After a burnout season, she left her corporate job and set up a small studio where she mainly creates functional ware items. She has an obsession with making teapots and has been trying to master it since her early days in pottery. In her free time, she enjoys being in nature and training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Lauren Reynolds (she/her)
Teacher
Lauren is a Naarm based ceramicist and emerging artist, whose passion lies in creating functional ceramic ware and exploring various mixed media applications on ceramics. With a deep appreciation for the tactile nature of clay, she combines her love of painting, sculpting, and drawing to bring unique and captivating elements to her ceramic creations. Through her work, she aims to inspire others to appreciate the beauty and versatility of clay as a medium. Lauren has been working with clay for four years and is influenced most by shapes, textures and colours within the natural environment. She most enjoys the throwing step of making ceramics, as well as developing new shapes and being able to translate them from 2D to 3D, which she finds incredibly satisfying.
Genevieve Walshe (she/they)
Studio Hand & Teacher
Genevieve has been working with ceramics for about four years and is influenced by the mundanity of everyday life and the fantasies of imagination. Gen’s work is characterised by its whimsical and playful nature, often taking on sculptural forms that invite movement and celebrate tactile qualities of clay. Their favourite part of the ceramics process is the idea of possibility, how a piece takes on new forms as you build, starting in one place and ending in another. It easily allows for play through the building process.
Zara Blake (she/her)
Teacher
Zara is a self taught ceramicist and has been practising for three years. She enjoys the throwing and firing process of making - particularly taking interest in raku explorations and using the live flame to create interesting effects onto the clay surfaces. Zara also likes handbuilding and discovering new techniques and firing methods.
Jess Rodgers (she/they)
Teacher
Jess has been working with ceramics for just under two years and is inspired by where they live on Wadawurrung land, including the local native plants, ocean and rock pool treasures. Jess will often draw inspiration for the colour of their glazes by using the natural environment around them. Jess most enjoys the therapeutic (and messy) process of creating on the wheel and experimenting with new glaze recipes.
Angelo Ooi (he/him)
Teacher
Angelo is a contemporary ceramic artist who is passionate about traditional ceramic skills of wheel throwing and glaze chemistry. Angelo’s work is inspired by his Australian and Malaysian Chinese background, in particular elegant Chinese vases, and rich copper red glazes of the Ming dynasty. He loves glaze testing and finding unique surfaces and textures which tell a story. Angelo finds teaching an absolute joy, being able to pass on skills and seeing the pottery community grow.
Erin Bussell (she/her)
Glaze Technician
Erin has been working with ceramics for 8 years, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) for RMIT. Erin is influenced most by natural forms and the material itself and enjoys experimenting with different ways of working with ceramics materials.
Kristen Spalding (she/her)
Kiln Technician & Teacher
Kristen’s journey with ceramics started in her grandmother’s studio as a child, she went on to study ceramics at La Trobe University and has been working with clay, off and on, for the past 20 years (alongside other careers). She enjoys learning new techniques, experimenting with different clay bodies and decorating methods. Becoming a teacher set off a whole new direction in her ceramics career, she loves helping students express their own creativity and seeing the joy on their faces when the final firing is complete.