ARTIST STATEMENT

Ann McBride is a ceramic designer, artist, and illustrator. Her work is recognizable by the bold colourful illustrations, both whimsical and a little subversive, but always unique. The originality of her work is a reflection of her career in graphic design.

She has transferred her skills in illustration and graphics onto the 3D clay form. She creates visually impactful wall installations and plinth-based slip-cast ceramics. Pushing the boundaries of the ceramic practice she has explored the use of alternative mediums, creating prints and patterned textiles for use as lampshades that fit the decal printed ceramic lamp base.

She has developed her distinctive narrative on ceramic surfaces – drawing from both cultural and literary influences. Using contemporary elements like tattoos to create a narrative, the female form in historical works of art is lifted from the past and subverted to address issues such as feminism. With humour, she alters how women have been historically portrayed and gives them a more assertive demeanour. The artwork evokes emotions that have been drawn from her own life experience. The illustrations translate from 2D to 3D in clay and other materials. Slip-cast porcelain forms, fine bone china, and textiles are her canvas.

PROCESS

Illustration, watercolour, and ink are at the core of her ceramic practice She uses the industrial process of plaster mould-making and slipcasting to create the ceramic forms, producing small scale and limited edition pieces. The original artworks are scanned and adjustments made in Photoshop to ensure an accurate fit on the ceramic form. Bone china plates are used to ensure the smooth, clean lines required for decal surface decoration. The decals are applied to the glazed ceramic form and fired.

Individual plates, limited edition pieces, and large-scale wall installations are available. Commissions are also welcome.