Oliver Morse was born in New Plymouth in 1978.  He worked in the hospitality industry and studied computer design before training in theatre set design at Toi Whakaari.  He worked in the theatre for eight years and more recently in public space design.  He is a self-taught painter and began working with clay in 2016.

He won the premier award at Ceramicus, the Wellington Potters’ Association exhibition in 2018 and was a finalist in the Parkin Drawing Award in 2017 and 2018.  In 2018 he was the inaugural winner of the Rick Rudd Foundation Emerging Practitioner in Clay Award.

Since winning the award he has bought an electric kiln, has had solo exhibitions and taken part in group exhibitions. He now spends much of his time working with clay when not undertaking design projects.

Following a residency at the Glasgow Street Art Centre, Whanganui in 2019 he moved permanently to Whanganui in 2020.

Rick Rudd
2021