St. Olaf College

Sandra Black

Contemporary ceramic artist
Victoria
b. 1950
View objects by this artist.

Sandra Black was born in Western Australia in 1950. From 1969 until 1975 she studied at the Western Australia Institute of Technology (now Curtin University), and completed an Associateship in Art Teaching at a high school level. Black began her artistic practice with ceramics in the mid-1970s, and in 1975 took a part-time position as a lecturer at the Western Australian Institute of Technology. Her primary focus is her own art, although she has stayed involved with arts education, lecturing and conducting workshops throughout Australia and New Zealand.

Black has made a name for herself due to the delicate nature of her porcelain works. Many of them are pierced or carved, causing them to look like lace. She takes inspiration from natural forms, especially flora, and typically uses a surgical blade to carve her designs before using other tools to pierce the form. Her works gain their signature ‘glow’ from the electric firing technique she uses, which produces cool blue-gray tones or warmer white ones. Rather than glazing her works, she simply allows the polished surfaces to show off her designs.

Black currently lives and works in Fremantle, West Australia. Her works can be found in collections internationally.

Madison Duran ‘20
March 2020

Sources:
Black, Sandra. “Sandra Black.” The Australian Ceramics Community,
www.australianceramicscommunity.com/listing/sandra-black/.
“Sandra Black.” Beaver Galleries, www.beavergalleries.com.au/artist/sandra-black/.
“Sandra Black.” Masterworks Gallery,
www.masterworksgallery.co.nz/artists1/ceramics/sandra-black/.
“Sandra Black.” Sandra Black - Australian Ceramicist,
www.artists-worldwide.net/artists/ceramics/black_sandra.html.

Image:
Robinson, Gail. “Igniting That Creative Spark.” MyCreative Australia.com, 17 Mar. 2015,
www.mycreativeaustralia.com/2015/03/16/how-to-ignite-creative-spark-ceramic-art-sandra-black/.