Presented as part of Sydney Craft Week, this panel discussion explores contemporary studio ceramics and the enduring significance of handmade objects.
Hear from ceramic artists Jordan Gower and Liane Rossler in conversation with curator Eva Czernis-Ryl and craft historian Grace Cochrane AM. Bringing together perspectives across making, design, and material culture, the discussion considers how one of the world’s oldest forms of craft continues to evolve through contemporary studio practice.
The conversation explores lineages of craft knowledge, material transformation, and process-driven practices, while questioning relationships between form and function, tradition and experimentation. The speakers also consider the place of ceramic objects within contemporary galleries, museums, and collections, and reflect on the possibilities for sustainable approaches to making in a world increasingly shaped by mass production and consumption.
Jordan Gower is a South Australian ceramic artist and Head of Ceramics at JamFactory, Adelaide. Working across exhibition practice, studio ceramics, and arts leadership, Gower’s practice investigates materials, encounters, and ontology through refined wheel-thrown and sculptural ceramic objects. Trained in ceramics through JamFactory’s Associate Development Program (2016–17), he received a mentorship with porcelain wheel-thrower Phil Elson and went on to establish the production studio Aburi, creating bespoke tableware for award-winning South Australian restaurants and wineries.
Liane Rossler is an artist, designer, and curator whose practice focuses on sustainable projects that intersect art, design, and the environment. Working with ceramic forms made from Australian stoneware, her work is created through a direct process from earth to form, expressing the natural qualities of the material. Alongside her solo creative practice, Rossler is founder of Superlocalstudio which inspires collaborative, socially engaged cultural and creative projects. She was also co-founder of Dinosaur Designs, and as a director and designer for twenty-five years established standalone stores in Sydney, Melbourne, and New York.
Grace Cochrane AM is an independent curator, writer, historian, and consultant who has worked with craftspeople and their organisations for nearly 50 years. From 1988–2005, she was the curator, and later senior curator, of Australian decorative arts and design at the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney. She is the author of The Crafts Movement in Australia: A History (NSW University Press, 1992). She has spoken about craft and design in many lectures and conferences in Australia and overseas, has written for a range of journals and publications, and examined submissions from many PhD and Master’s candidates.
Eva Czernis-Ryl is an art and design historian, author and award-winning curator at Powerhouse in Sydney. With interests spanning art, design, craft, technology, architecture, and contemporary culture, her recent collection development and exhibition projects have focussed on contemporary ceramics and interdisciplinary practice. The most recent exhibitions include ‘Fantastical Worlds’ (2022) and ‘Clay Dynasty’ (2022–23), and she was lead curator for multi-award-winning ‘1001 Remarkable Objects’ developed in collaboration with Leo Schofield AM (2023–24). Eva was curator for Powerhouse’s inaugural Willoughby Bequest Commissioning Program for Australian studio glass and ceramics, and she is currently involved in developing exhibitions for the new Powerhouse Parramatta opening 7 November 2026.
This program is part of Sydney Craft Week, presented by UNSW School of Art & Design from 9–18 October 2026. Presented in conjunction with 'Jordan Gower: Does the moon know the well?' at UNSW Galleries from 3 September – 22 November 2026.