Spending time photographing Lea in her studio in the outskirts of Canberra on Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country, was a beautiful reminder of how deeply place can shape creative work. The shelf full of wild clay containers, labelled for each place, literally maps her footsteps across the landscape. Elsewhere, the studio feels like an intimate gallery filled with test pieces, ephemera, found objects, and fragments of ideas.  Her functional and sculptural forms are rich with texture, quiet strength, and intention — they feel grounded and full of the stories that come from a deep sense of being interconnected with land and place.  An accomplished artist, Lea has been awarded many prizes, residences and in 2024 completed her Master of Contemporary Art Practices, with commendation, at ANU.  Very grateful to document Lea’s process and the earthy beauty.

Lea Durie - Ceramic Artist