Peter Cooley — 'Afternoon Light Leura' Sculptural Ceramic, 2026

Drawing on the rich traditions of modernist sculpture and ceramics, Landscape Ceramic After Modernism reflects Peter Cooley's longstanding connection to place and material. Inspired by walks through the Blue Mountains, Cooley transforms clay, or as he describes it, "dirt," into a deeply personal interpretation of landscape. Through tactile surfaces, considered decoration, and an intuitive engagement with natural materials, the work speaks to the enduring relationship between environment, memory, and making, celebrating the simple yet profound act of shaping the earth into form.

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Peter Cooley (b. 1956) grew up in the Northern Rivers region of NSW. He attended the Brisbane College of Art and then the City Art Institute in Sydney.

Initially recognised as a painter during the 1980s and 1990s, he later focused primarily on ceramic sculpture, particularly figurative works depicting Australian fauna.

 His work is held in public collections in Australia and internationally, including at the British Museum, National Gallery of Australia, National Gallery of Victoria, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Art Gallery of South Australia, Art Gallery of Western Australia, University of Queensland Art Museum, HOTA - Gold Coast City Gallery, Bathurst Regional Art Gallery, Shepparton Art Museum and Goulburn Regional Art Gallery.

He is a resident of the Blue Mountains and shows in Sydney with Martin Browne Contemporary and with Gould Galleries in Melbourne.