About Andrew

Andrew Parker has been working with clay since 1976. While his practice has undergone many evolutions, the ancient technique of sgraffito has remained a constant. His work spans functional ware and one-off exhibition pieces, as well as more experimental and ephemeral projects of unfired clay mixed with native seed, sculptural creatures, and willow bower structures. These later explorations marked a shift away from functional ceramics towards a more whimsical, sculptural, and environmentally sustainable practice.

Andrew began his ceramics training at the Otago Polytechnic School of Art in Dunedin, New Zealand, before relocating to Australia, where he completed postgraduate studies at East Sydney Tech (National Art School).

Andrew has exhibited nationally and internationally in New Zealand, Indonesia, Japan, and the United States (US). He has undertaken residencies at the New England Art Museum in Armidale, New South Wales (NSW) and at the University of Southern Indiana, US.

In addition to his studio practice, Andrew has contributed extensively to community and cultural development projects. He has been involved in numerous community art initiatives and occasionally teaches pottery, covering wheel throwing, slab construction, design techniques, and demonstrates Raku firing.

Since the early 1980s, Andrew has lived in Uralla, on the Northern Tablelands of NSW, where he works from a self-designed and built studio. His studio practice is supported by a solar-battery system, enabling him to fire a small kiln entirely on solar power and a large three-phase kiln at nearly 50% solar capacity. This approach reflects his ongoing commitment to environmentally sustainable making.