All Things Ceramics and Home with ‘Oh Hey Grace’
We recently had a chat with Grace Brown of Oh Hey Grace who creates a mix of functional and sculptural pieces from her local studio using a combination of wheel-thrown and hand-building techniques. Influenced by geometry, contrasting textures, architectural forms and the work of M.C. Escher, her work is part functional ware and part Utopian cityscapes with labyrinth-like buildings featuring layers of geometric stairwells, sharp lines, smooth adobe domes, and archways.
We learnt a little about her creative journey and passion for her practice, while also picking her brain about what she thinks is the best way to select homewares and art pieces for the home.
Tell us a little about yourself, Oh Hey Grace and its offerings. How you started out in your ceramic practice and the twists and turns of your journey to date.
I’m a ceramic artist based in Melbourne and originally trained and worked in fashion design, but found that it wasn’t for me and I wasn’t using my hands as much as I wanted. So I took a night class in pottery and was totally hooked! After training at Slow Clay Centre in Collingwood and completing an internship there, I started my business back in 2017 and haven’t looked back!
What is your mission when making your creations? Are there stories and themes you are trying to share/tell?
My aim is to create miniature worlds to transport the viewer to another time, place, and universe. I create for design-conscious people who are looking for a piece of art that tells a deeper story while providing a playful and mindful escape from the daily grind.
Describe your personal style/creative process and what/who inspires you. Do you find your ideas develop and change as you are working through creating a piece?
I am a very visual person, so I spend a lot of time exploring architecture, vintage science fiction artwork, or 3D rendered imagined worlds online. I’m also really interested in fallen civilisations so I spend a lot of my time in my studio listening to podcasts about landscapes and ways people used to cultivate the land. A lot of my inspiration comes from these places and then I often try and design a sculpture that might sit in one of these imagined landscapes. Usually with my sculptures, I have a rough idea in my head, but I won’t 100% know what I’m making until I am in front of the clay. For other more functional things I will try and work on a design until I’m happy and then ensure I can repeat it so it’s not an entirely one off piece.
Decorative vs functional – which are your favourite pieces to create? Any stand-out favourite and/or “failed” pieces that have a funny story?
I definitely love making sculptural work. It’s my favourite part of the process and I can get completely lost in what I’m doing. I have heappppppsssss of failed stories. Any ceramic artist will tell you that you lose a LOT of work and so much goes wrong at SO many stages! None are particularly funny, most come down to pushing the clay too far, trying to rush the drying process, or being clumsy in the studio!
Your tips for selecting pieces for the home. Is it a matter of just selecting what you’re drawn to or are there some things that should be considered?
Everyone’s style is different. But I think it’s important to make your home a space where you feel safe, inspired, and joyful. Art is a wonderful way to bring joy into the home. And ceramics can be a dynamic and interactive piece of art to have in the home. Unlike a painting which has one aspect to admire it from, ceramics offers so many different viewpoints and can be moved around the home depending on your aesthetic, as well as keeping it safe (i.e kids or pets!) If you’re unsure of
how to pick a piece, my advice is to start with neutral earthy tones which match any interior, and then build in some colour or different texture from there.
Your studio is based in Coburg – what do you love most about the North?
I love the North! I’ve and worked all over Melbourne and nothing competes to the North. I love the nightlife, the people, and the countless small businesses. My studio is surrounded by light Industrial buildings and although when I first moved in I was hesitant, I’ve loved getting to know my neighbours and learning about their trade and skills.
Your work has been showcased in a number of exhibitions and shortlisted for awards such as The Victorian Craft Awards. Which has been your proudest moment?
The Victorian Craft Award was definitely a highlight, especially as it was in the middle of lockdowns so that gave me a great energy boost in an otherwise dark time! Another highlight was my solo exhibition in Canberra in early 2022 which was made entirely in miniature. It took me 2 years to get the show up and running after being cancelled multiple times due to lockdowns, but when it opened it was a wonderful feeling. It was also my first sold out show which was a great way to round off the experience.
Ok so, how/where can we get our hands on your beautiful pieces?!
You can find all my work on my website www.ohheygrace.com.au or I also welcome appointments in my studio in Coburg North. You can also find my pieces at a number of galleries and stores in Victoria (Modern Times, Craft Victoria, Stockroom Kyneton, Bleu Design Store) and also in Byron Bay (Nikau Store).
Thanks so much to Grace for her time – be sure to follow her latest adventures on Instagram as well!