Clay + Ash 

Wood fired ceramic art – methods, kilns, practitioners

 The exhibition will be held in the Chartwell Gallery at ArtsPost, Hamilton, from 22 January to 16 February 2026

We last organised this exhibition in January and February 2023

We want to tell a new story with Clay + Ash this time, expanding the survey from just kiln owners taking part, to include potters who regularly fire in wood kilns as a main means of production, but don’t own the kiln. We feel this more accurately reflects the range of wood fired work being produced in Aotearoa.

Our view is that we need to feature wood fired work on a more regular basis, highlighting the story of the firing process for each potter. This resourcefulness of potters has forged a distinct culture in the ceramic community that relishes the dance with fire and the unpredictable nature of this elemental practice.  This was the principal for Woodstoke and the reason we originally established it in 2011.