PAULINE RYAN

CERAMICIST

Bio

Pauline Ryan is a New South Wales–based ceramic artist with more than four decades of experience working with clay. After studying ceramics at Hornsby TAFE in the 1980s, she established a lifelong practice that has encompassed both making and teaching, including over 30 years sharing her skills with children through pottery education.

Working primarily in stoneware and Raku, Pauline creates distinctive figurative and animal-based ceramics that transform traditional wheel-thrown forms into expressive, sculptural pieces. Her process involves throwing forms on the wheel and then altering and embellishing them by hand, using a combination of glazes, underglazes, and raw clay surfaces. Firing techniques—including gas reduction and Raku—play a central role in achieving the rich surfaces and lustre effects that characterise her work.

Pauline’s ceramics are informed by a love of storytelling and illustration, particularly the whimsical qualities of children’s book imagery. Her work is available through Craft NSW, where she is recognised as a maker within the contemporary craft community.

Artist Statement

My work is inspired by a love of animals, storytelling, and the playful spirit found in children’s book illustrations. I create ceramic pieces that are quirky, expressive, and full of character—objects that invite a sense of joy and imagination.

I begin with wheel-thrown forms, which I then alter and sculpt by hand to develop each piece into a unique figure or animal. This combination of structure and spontaneity allows the work to evolve naturally, with each piece taking on its own personality.

Raku firing is central to my practice. I enjoy the unpredictability of the process and the way it brings depth, texture, and lustre to the surface. Alongside stoneware firing, it allows me to explore a wide range of finishes, from bold and dramatic to subtle and tactile.

Having spent many years teaching children, I value a sense of curiosity and play in the making process. My aim is to create one-of-a-kind pieces that bring a smile, spark the imagination, and carry a sense of warmth and individuality into the spaces they inhabit.

Work

Current Exhibition

Sunday, April 19, 2026 at 9AM — 3PM

2026 Blue Mountains Pottery Fair

Wentworth Falls School Of Arts

The Blue Mountains Pottery Fair returns in 2026 for its seventh year, celebrating the talent, diversity, and creativity of potters from across the region and beyond. Held in the beautifully restored Wentworth Falls School of Arts — an Arts and Crafts era treasure set right on the Great Western Highway — this annual event has become a favourite destination for ceramic lovers, collectors, and curious visitors alike.

Here' Pauline Ryan's profile on the BM pottery Fair website.