The Hermannsburg Potters are a dedicated group of Western Aranda artists creating vibrant handmade ceramic pots that encompass collective and individually lived histories in their country.
The Ntaria / Hermannsburg artists continue a 30-year legacy, sculpting and painting their visual histories and contemporary settings, speaking to their cultural beliefs, traditions and values. The Hermannsburg Potters iconic sculptured terracotta pots are made using the traditional hand-coil technique. In the early days, it was found that this was the most suitable method for working in this remote and challenging context. Coils are carefully rolled from the clay, and the artists build up their pots slowly, pinching the rim of the pot, coil on coil. When the form is complete, the surface is smoothed and shaped with a wooden paddle, and then burnished with the back of a metal spoon. When the pots are bone-dry, they are decorated with underglazes (ceramic-based material, or slips, with pigment). The pots are then fired to earthenware temperatures (1080 degrees Celsius).
Recently, the artists have been working with locally sourced clay to create their unique artworks.
