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 way-finding 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 and has recently been artist in residence at the Glasgow Street Art Centre in Whanganui.

Oliver used the $10,000 Award to build a studio and buy an electric kiln.  He is now a full-time ceramic practitioner and this exhibition displays a major body of work made since winning the Award.  Although in form his work appears to be mainly vessel-based, the imagery is the stronger element.  From personal thoughts and memories the drawings are unexplained but intriguing.

Sigil – Inscribed or painted symbols considered to have magical power

Rick Rudd
2019