Artereal Gallery - .Art Gallery Sydney Australia

Luke Ryan O’Connor

Melt, Drip, Lustre

30 March - 20 April 2022

Melt, Drip, Lustre is an exhibition of fresh works by Sydney-based ceramic artist Luke Ryan O’Connor.

Recently presented at Bega Valley Regional Gallery’s pop-up gallery space, these new works see O’Connor continue his process driven exploration of the ceramic vessel through intriguing experiments into colour, texture and form. Made in the context of the ongoing pandemic and the 2021 Sydney Lockdown, the exhibition sees the artist embrace the limitations of working within his home studio to create a multitude of small-scale alluring vessels. Approaching making in a playful manner his sculptures incorporate a combination of throwing on the potter’s wheel, coiled hand building and haphazard slip cast additions. While referencing the utilitarian language embedded in the history of ceramics the work remains formally and functionally ambiguous. Conceptually O’Connor’s practice plays to notions of queer adversity, to celebrating scars and dissociating enhancement from conventional ideals of perfection. His work has been exhibited across Australia as well as recent international shows in New Zealand & Germany.

(To view and purchase artworks from this series, including pricing details, scroll to the end of this online exhibition page).

“Presenting something that is misshapen and maybe not as traditionally functional but that is still beautiful, to me is representative of the queer experience. These pieces are these things that sit very much outside what ceramics should be, or what people’s ideas of what ceramics should be. And that is what it’s like growing up queer sometimes. Art was always my refuge, growing up in such a rural area. It was my ticket to living an interesting life.”

-Luke Ryan O’Connor, 2021

View all of the artworks in this online exhibition below. Please click on artwork to view in full screen mode.

All prices are in Australian dollars and inclusive of GST. Freight and shipping costs not included. Please contact the gallery for assistance with freight and shipping. Prices are correct at the time of publication but may be subject to change without notice. For sales enquiries email: info@artereal.com.au