Samantha Mackie’s practice is driven by a desire to reduce forms to their simplest linear structures, drawn to the quiet order found in repetition and grids. Whether inspired by familiar references such as houses, places, maps, and floor plans, or by entirely abstract forms, her work consistently evokes themes of containment, belonging, and order.
Central to Mackie’s practice is the tension between artistic intention and the inherent unpredictability of porcelain. During the firing process, forms subtly distort, introducing an organic warmth and softness to otherwise ordered lines. Never entirely certain how a piece will emerge from the kiln, she embraces each transformation as an opportunity for the work to evolve beyond its original conception, sometimes unexpectedly and often for the better.
Mackie is also fascinated by the way light interacts with delicate porcelain forms. As light shifts throughout the day, changing shadows and silhouettes create new visual experiences within each piece. The porcelain is left unglazed, allowing the works to remain understated and soft, with a quiet presence that feels almost dreamlike, as though slightly out of focus, like a memory.
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Sam Mackie is a Sydney-based artist working from her studio in Avalon NSW (Gadigal Country). Originally working with paper, she was drawn to the durability and permanence of ceramics and completed a Diploma of Ceramics in 2024.
Working predominantly in porcelain, Samantha explores ideas of shelter, containment, memory and belonging through familiar forms like houses, structures and grids. Working with fine slabs of porcelain created from hundreds of brushstrokes, she distils these forms into delicate linear reductions, leaving the porcelain unglazed and quietly ghostly. Samantha has been selected for several prizes, including the Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize and Ravenswood Art Prize.
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Shelley Simpson Ceramics Prize 2026
5 September – 3 October
Following the success of last year's prize, Craft is delighted to continue our partnership with Mud Australia to present the Shelley Simpson Ceramics Prize 2026.
The Shelley Simpson Ceramics Prize (SSCP) was established in 2020 by Mud Australia Founder and Creative Director, Shelley Simpson, to support and champion the next generation of Australian ceramicists.
Presented in partnership with Craft Victoria, the annual prize is open to ceramic artists working across functional ware, fine art, handcrafted objects and broader commercial ceramic practices. Alongside a $10,000 cash prize, shortlisted finalists will be exhibited at Craft Victoria as part of a dedicated exhibition celebrating contemporary Australian ceramics.
Read more about the exhibition here:
Materials: porcelain
Dimensions: A set of two works, measuring in total 30 x 60cm
Please note when purchasing, exhibition works are to be collected when exhibition closes.
Shipping costs may be estimates. Please feel free to contact shop@craft.org.au who will be available to provide an Art Courier quote or shipping costs for larger items.
