Shannon Garson is known for her thrown porcelain vessels decorated with intricate drawings exploring the relationship between domestic forms and the infinite variety of striations, spots, and marks found in nature. Shannon has been awarded many significant national prizes and she is regularly represented in group exhibitions of Australia’s leading ceramicists. Shannon has a history of community involvement in the arts and teaches nationaly and internationally,publishes articles on contemporary ceramics nationally and internationally, and has been a presenter at national conferences and symposia. She exhibits throughout Australia.
In addition to her teaching and making Shannon runs immersive events and tours called “Creative Voyage”. You can read more about these events here:
Shannon has been exhibiting since 1990 and now exhibits her porcelain throughout Australia and internationally. Her work is regularly picked up by new galleries, for a list of stockists please go to the Links Page.
Shannon Garson Resume
E D U C A T I O N A L H I S T O R Y
1990 – 93 Bachelor of Visual Arts, Queensland University of Technology
Major: Painting
Second major: Literature
2015- Masters of Visual Arts, Australian National University, Canberra
S E L E C T E D E X H I B I T I O N S
2000-Porcelain Tattoo Queensland Craft Council Brunswick St, Brisbane
2001-Cheer Queensland Craft Council Brunswick St, Brisbane
2002-The Paddock Craft Queensland Brunswick St, Brisbane
2003- Gold Coast International Ceramic Award. Gold Coast City Gallery, Surfers Paradise
2004-Still-Life in Porcelain Salmon Galleries, McMahon’s Point, Sydney
The Bowl’d and the Beautiful Ceramic Art Gallery, Paddington, Sydney
2004-Beaver Galleries Christmas Show , Beaver Galleries, Canberra
2005– Surrounds Redland Art Gallery, Cleveland, Brisbane
2006- Botanica, Craft Queensland, Brisbane
Delightful Things– Umbrella Collective inaugral event, Brisbane
2008- The Magnolia Project, Salmon Galleries, Sydney
The 8th international Mino Ceramics Award– Mino, Japan
2009- Ceramic Journeys– Group exhibition, Fusions, Brisbane
Pourers– Group exhibition, Object Sydney
2010- “Teawares” Group exhibition, Jamfactory Adelaide
Gold Coast International Ceramic Award– (shortlisted) Gold Coast Art Gallery, Gold Coast
2011- “Swamp Cartography”, collaborative exhibition with jeweller Rebecca Ward, Gympie Regional Gallery, Gympie, Redcliffe Regional Gallery and Noosa Regional Gallery
“The Narrative Knot” Australian Ceramics Assocatioin Biennial exhibition, Many Gallery and Museum, Sydney
2012- “Gleanings” (solo) exhibition Narek Galleries, Tathra NSW
2012- “Swamp Cartography”, lead exhibition for Treeline eco art event Noosa Regional Gallery,
2013– “Petrichor” (solo) exhibition, Gallery Nuvo , Buderim, Qld
2013- Waterhouse Natural History Prize (finalist) South Australian Museum, South Australia
2014– “Only for the Birds” Group exhibition, Mu Gallery, Mosman, Sydney, NSW
2014– “Small Works” group show, Beaver Galleries , Canberra, ACT
2014 “The Course of Objects” Australian Ceramics Association group exhibition, Manly art Gallery and Museum, Manly, Sydney
2015– “Tidelines” (solo) , Narek Galleries,Tathra, NSW
2016- “Infinite Variety” (solo), Beaver Galleries, Canberra, ACT
2016 – “Across the Table Across the Land”, (Film of “The Handmade Table”) NCECA, Kansas City, U.S
2017- “Objects of Desire”, NCECA, Portland, Oregon, U.S
2018- “Wildflower Women”, Caloundra Regional Gallery. Qld
“Entwine” (with Farley Cameron) Art Nuvo, Buderim Qld
2019- “Depths of Light”(solo) Narek Gallery, Tathra , NSW
“Wanderlust” travelling exhibition for the Qld Art Awards, Flying Arts
“Precious Nature”– Group exhibtition with Julie Bartholemew and Fiona Hiscock, Beaver Galleries, Canberra
“Silhouette- The Body of Nature”– Group exhibition, Rochfort Gallery, Sydney
“Share My Table”– Group exhibition, Ceramic Artists Honor Freeman, Shannon Garson, Tania Rollond, Fleur Schell and Avital Sheffer, works of five mid-career Ceramic Artists from across Australia, Australian Ceramics Triennale , Hobart
GRANTS AND AWARDS
2003
Josephine Ulrick Award for Excellence in Ceramics
Received at the Gold Coast International Ceramic Awards. Winning pieces from this award are now in the Gold Coast City Art Gallery collection.
2004
Stanthorpe Arts Festival Acquisitional Prize
“Fennel Bowl” is part of the Stanthorpe Regional Gallery permanent collection.
2005
Churchill Fellowship–
Received $20 000 to travel to France and Italy and study the great ceramic collections of these countries and undertake a 4 week residency at Dartington Pottery in Devon, UK.
2006
NAVA New Work Grant
Received $20 000 To explore a body of work using thrown, altered porcelain forms and sepia drawing.
2007
Space Furniture New Design Award– Received for “Nests- Series 1”
2008
ANU (Australian National University) Award
Ignition Ceramic Prize
Home Beautiful Product of the Year Award– For the “Magnolia Project”
2009
Arts Queensland
$40 000 for a collaboration with jeweller Rebecca Ward to create a body of work for a national touring exhibition inspired by the flora of the wallum (coastal wetlands)
2011
Noosa Travelling Scholarship “Highly Commended”
2015
RADF Grant – To produce and direct a community, food, ceramic project Called “The Handmade Table” Culminating in a short film called “The Handmade Table”
2018
Regional Art Award-“Highly Commended”
2019
Regional Arts Grant- To produce a multi media video, music and ceramics project to be debuted at the Australian Ceramics Triennale in Hobart.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS & WRITING
Pottery in Australia, vol 39 ,2000
Country Style, Feb- March 2002
Inside Out, Feb 2003
Ceramics Art and Perception, Vol 54, 2003/4( paper on my own approach to decoration)
Craft Arts International, March 2004
Ceramics Art and Perception, Vol 73, (article on Australian ceramicist Jane Sawyer)
Queensland Homes, October 2009
Journal of Australian Ceramics, Vol. 47, Issue 3 (article on Marianne Huhn)
Salt Magazine, Autumn 2010
Australian Journal of Ceramics, March 2009 (article on web-based technologies and ceramics)
Australian Journal of Ceramics, July 2014, Vol 53 (article on handmade ceramics)
Garland Magazine, “A Clay Voyage across the Pacific- Omnus Terra”, May 2017 (article on international exhibition in U.S )
Australian Journal of Ceramics, July 2018, “Hidden Worlds- The Art of Sarah Rayner”
SELECTED EXPERIENCE
2002
National Ceramic Conference, Bendigo, Australia. Presented a paper “Home-Cooking – A Case for Handmade Tableware”
2003
Gandhi School, Korea, travelling classroom. Throwing and decorating workshop
2003
Burnett Potter’s Society, Ayr Queensland. Decoration workshop
2004
Radio National, Australia- Spoke on “The Comfort Zone” about the relevance of handmade ceramics in contemporary life.
2006
National Ceramics Conference, Brisbane. Presented paper on contemporary approaches to decoration
2008
Arts Writer-Article on Marianne Huhn, The Journal of Australian Ceramics Vol47/3,
2009
Australian Ceramic Triennale
Creator and Administrator of the Triennale blog
Presented paper on the value of the internet for artists
A panellist on the Ceramics Education panel.
2011- “The Narrative Knot” Australian Ceramics Association -Edited and curated blog and social media for exhibition at Manly Art Gallery and Museum.
Arts Writer- Article on Marianne Huhn, Neue Ceramics – European Ceramic Magazine issue 3/11
2012
Lead artist for “Treeline , eco art festival held in conjunction with Noosa Regional Gallery.
2013-2017
President of The Australian Ceramics Association
2014-2018
Director of Australian Ceramics Film Festival, National Ceramics Conference, Canberra
Presenter at NCECA Conference in America, Kansas City
2016
Curator “Objects of Desire”, Artisan gallery, Brisbane
2017
Curator “Omnus Terra”, in conjunction with NCECA conference , Portland, Oregon, U.S
Curator “Objects of Desire- Contemporary Clay, Artisan, Brisbane, Tweed Regional Gallery, NSW
Director/Project Manager “Objects of Desire” Film and exhibition 11 artists in a group show exploring contemporary directions in clay and ephemeral sculpture, short films of 4 participating artists.
Judge– Gold Coast Ceramics Award, Gold Coast QLD
2018
Director/Performer– “Handmade Table- Bush Picnic”, in conjunction with Wildflower Women exhibition, Caloundra Regional Gallery
Judge– “Port Hacking Potter’s Award” National ceramics prize
Presenter Queensland Arts Teachers Conference QUT, Brisbane
Director/project manager, Australian Ceramics Association Online Masterclasses, 4 x short films. Film direction, project management, script and still photography.
Arts Writer– Australian Journal of Ceramics, July 2018, “Hidden Worlds- The Art of Sarah Rayner”
Visual artist/performer– featured in branding video for Mosaic Property Group.
2019
Artist in Residence– Church of England Grammar School , Brisbane, Qld
Creator, Director and Performer “Marine Ostinato” a multi media performance that explored creativity, transformation and the beauty of Tasmania’s rugged coastline through pottery, shadow puppetry, video and music. Performed at the Australian Ceramics Triennale in Hobart 2019.
Peer Assessor– Australia Council Peer Assessor for Visual Arts Grants.
Teacher – Sturt Summer School , Frensham Ladies College, Mittagong
C U R R E N T R E P R E S E N T A T I O N
Beaver Galleries, Denison St ,Deakin, ACT
Museum of Brisbane, Brisbane Qld
Rochfort Gallery, Sydney Australia