Rock, Waste & Place Glaze Workshop with Kate Bowman at Design Tasmania

Explore how rock, waste and local materials can become glazes, surfaces and ceramic palettes connected to place.

Limited places available.

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SATURDAY 27 JUNE 10AM-2PM DESIGN TASMANIA
CNR TAMAR AND BRISBANE STS, LAUNCESTON

What happens when ceramics starts with place?

Hosted by Design Tasmania and led by Tasmanian ceramic artist Kate Bowman, Rock, Waste & Place is a 3.5-hour glaze workshop exploring how the materials, geology and waste streams of Tasmania can become part of a ceramic practice.

Working with local rock, hospitality waste and found materials, participants will investigate how place can shape a glaze palette. Through a combination of theory, discussion and hands-on material exploration, the workshop looks at how materials gathered from landscape, kitchens, construction sites and dining rooms can be transformed into ceramic surfaces.

Using triaxial blend tiles and a curated set of found materials, participants will unpack the fundamentals of glaze chemistry, testing and material behaviour while building a deeper understanding of the materials already around us.

Supported by Regional Arts Australia Industry Residencies Program, the workshop is grounded in three live Tasmanian residency projects developed with The Agrarian Kitchen, Dier Makr and Schole. Each project began with a place, a waste stream and a question about what already existed on site: oyster shell from restaurant service, wine bottle glass, fryer oil, firebrick, abalone shell and demolition waste, all reworked into glazes, lighting and ceramic surfaces.

The morning will cover:

• Working with restaurant byproducts such as shell, ash, bone, and glass Tasmania’s geology and material landscape
• Understanding glaze chemistry
• Triaxial blends and substitution testing
• Material sourcing, processing and safe handling
• Building palettes connected to place and context
• Developing a more resilient and locally grounded studio practice

This workshop is beginner friendly and suited to ceramic artists, designers, makers and anyone interested in local materials, sustainability and the relationship between ceramics and place.

All materials and test tiles are provided, with the fired results shared 3-4 weeks later. Participants can collect their results from Design Tasmania or Kate’s studio in Hobart.

What to bring:

• Note pad and pen
• Closed toe shoes
• Masks are provided but feel welcome to BYO

If you have materials from your landscape you’re curious about, bring them along for discussion!