Michael Shaw
Redlands, Queensland
Michael Shaw is a ceramic artist and educator based on Quandamooka Country (Redlands, Queensland). His practice centres on wheel thrown vessels that investigate relationship, material, memory, and connection to place.
Shaw works primarily with reclaimed studio clay and locally foraged materials from Wellington Point and Currumbin Creek, sites that carry personal significance. He has developed an eucalyptus wood ash glaze using materials collected from home. These processes ground the work in the environments where it is made.
He is currently completing a Bachelor of Visual Arts at Griffith University, which provides a strong foundation for his ceramic practice. Studying across sculpture, jewellery, printmaking, and art history has deepened his understanding of form, material, and process, while fostering a flexible and thoughtful approach to making. This cross disciplinary learning grounds his practice in both technical skill and critical awareness, supporting a considered engagement with contemporary art and place.
Shaw’s approach is informed by the work of Gwyn Hanssen Pigott, particularly her focus on form, rhythm, and quiet presence. His vessels are made with attention to process and function, allowing space for observation and use.
He exhibits across Queensland and has work held in public and private collections. Alongside his studio practice, he teaches ceramics at Clay Precinct in Wellington Point, supporting others in their creative journeys with clay.
Instagram
Note: All available-for-purchase artworks featured in Ode - to Gwyn exhibition can be collected at the end of September.
Image Credits
Photo of Michael Shaw. Image courtesy of Michael Shaw.
Dinner Bowl, 2025, Michael Shaw. Wheel thrown, custom stoneware incorporating foraged local clays. custom ghost gum ash glaze. 18x8cm. Photography by artisan
