Luke Ryan O’Connor represented by Artereal Gallery

Words: Maddy Matheson

Sydney’s Artereal Gallery has announced the representation of rising star ceramicist Luke Ryan O’Connor. The artist debuted his first commercial art gallery solo show with Artereal back in 2020 with Back from outer space, before presenting an online exhibition with the gallery New Works from the Studio 2021 in March. Over the past year Artereal Gallery have been committed to seeing O’Connor realise his potential, and its announcement of the young artist joining its stable comes as no surprise.

O’Connor’s practice melds wheel-thrown techniques with hand-building and slip-casting, a nod to the artist’s developed understanding of the medium. The resulting forms are unique, textured and microbial in appearance with various growth-like forms and glaze deposits sprinkling the surface. O’Connor blurs the line between function and form. Where clay stops and glaze begins is ambiguous yet increasingly intriguing the longer one spends looking at his other-worldly works.

O’Connor is currently working towards a solo exhibition at Bega Valley Regional Art Gallery later this year.

Image: Installation shot of Brown Green vessel with Platinum Chunks Green Melt by Luke Ryan O’Connor, 2021. Image: Josh Bentley. Courtesy: the artist and Artereal Gallery, Sydney.