Richard Stratton (born 1970), Paul Maseyk (born 1974) and Andy Kingston (born 1979) are three of the most exciting potters of today.  Their work is vessel-based but really the objects are vessels for expression of their ideas and utility is totally inconsequential.  These pieces are more at home in the art gallery than the craft shop.

At the moment many practitioners in clay are concerned little with techniques and craftsmanship but these three, because of their training, have taken the techniques required to produce their work and honed them to a high degree.

The amazing group of works making up this exciting exhibition challenges the viewer with some dark imagery but celebrates the achievement of these three makers.

Simon Manchester was extremely generous in lending collections of works for extended periods. He was a Wellington based businessman who lived in a central city rooftop apartment and had an enormous collection of New Zealand studio pottery which had been acquired over more than 30 years.

Rick Rudd
2019