Alex Wilkinson is the maker behind Mystery Creek Ceramics.
I found clay and my passion for the pottery medium in 2015 at a beginner’s class. Clay as it does for so many people sparked an absolute love for making and self-expression in me to the point where I find myself a ceramic artist today.
I credit pottery with helping me out of a severe period of depression and putting me back on the path of valuing myself and my contribution to the world. I simply would not be here if it were not for me trying a night class in pottery and my incredible support network.
I have just graduated from the honors program of The Waikato Institute of Technology specifically with an honors degree in sculpture focusing on ceramics. This course helped me to extend my learning and understanding of clay and where that fits in the larger sculpture world. I look forward to expanding my sculptural practice in the future with this learning.
Mystery Creek Ceramics has developed out of a love for nerikomi and functional beautiful tableware. There is simply nothing better for me than a beautiful object that I can use every day in the kitchen and through mystery creek I strive to create fun, colourful objects that are functional but also beautiful. I currently have an amazing staff member and regularly take interns into my studio to teach them about the niche process I love so much.
Passing my passion for ceramics on is my favourite part of my practice and I do this through teaching. Whilst I don't teach regularly now I still teach through the Waikato Society of Potters where I learnt and around the country when invited at pottery societies and clubs.
Nerikomi is an incredibly slow way of making ceramics one piece can take over a month to construct and then two weeks to fire but I absolutely love it. I love the randomness of the process. We can control the pattern to an extent but once the piece gets in the slab roller and in the kiln all kinds of weird and wonderful things can happen. I find that giving in to the serendipity of the process is incredibly cathartic.
Alex’s sculptural work has got into juried exhibitions all over New Zealand including the following shows in 2021; The National Contemporary Art Award, Portage, Waiclay, The Molly Morpeth Sculpture Exhibition and the Diamond Jubilee Exhibition of the Ceramics Association of NZ.
Thank you for visiting
Feel free to get in contact with Alex
email: alex@mysterycreekceramics.co.nz
or for classes check out The Waikato Society of Potters Website