Recipient of the Northcote Pottery Award and the RMIT Ceramic Student Association Club Year 3 Award. _________________________________
CLAY, CONTROL AND I.
Jess Dybing’s work explores the changing states between flow and matter on the pottery wheel. Whilst the process of throwing strongly dictates the creation of her forms she enjoys reclaiming her agency by deviating away from a flawless clay surface.
Hand torn and poked perforations disturb the vessel skin. This action challenge concepts of perfectionism.
From these imperfect holes flow her unique crystalline glazes.
Liminality is explored through this glaze behaviour. Called the crystal seeding time, this phase exists between the heating and hardening (vitrification) of clay in the kiln, where uncontrollable alchemical change occurs. This creates a glaze surface of cluster crystal patterns.
Jess Dybing is a ceramic artist whose practice is process-driven. Being a clumsy and rushed person by nature, her art embraces mistakes and the process of destruction as well as the skill of pottery wheel throwing. She is currently teaching wheel throwing classes at Little Woods Studio in Fitzroy. She completed an internship with Tantri Mustika Ceramics in Collingwood Yards, a commissioned project with RMIT Creative working with student and staff in the Public Art Trail 2022, and participated in the RMIT Learning and Teaching Festival 2022 showcasing student merchandising.
‘Clay just makes me happy. Sometimes I compulsively wake up at 5:30am if I have work in the kiln. I cannot wait to open it and see what magic has happened.’—Jess Dybing
