and asked if I could volunteer at the studio. I was very lucky to have that opportunity because it taught me so many valuable skills. I then started to sell my functional work under the brand Emily Only and doing markets around Victoria. I got to a point where I wanted to be pushed out of my comfort zone and be forced to think differently about the medium so I enrolled in a BFA majoring in Ceramics at RMIT in 2019. I’m currently on leave due to the current global situation but hope to be back there soon.
Have you got a studio/creative workplace? Tell us a bit about where you create and some of the significant things that support and inspire your practice.
I work from my home studio in the Yarra Valley. I am close to walking trails and a couple of cute coffee shops so its a lovely spot to be. Eventually I would love to work in a studio space with other creatives as I love the community aspect of creating ceramics but for now I am lucky enough to have the space at home to create my work.
What are some of the ideas that you explore in your work and the mediums that you have chosen to work with?
I’ve been exploring the connection between the medium and the maker during the creative process and our attachments to objects and why. Organic shapes, raw textures and soft colour are a huge theme through my work with a heavy influence from natural structures and ancient vessels.
In an increasingly digitized world, how important is your online presence? And what are some of the things that you consider when marketing your work?
It is hugely important in our digital age to have some form of website and social media to be able to connect and share your work with others. I love sharing snippets of my process but I am still trying to find the right balance. Keeping your website up to date and taking good quality photos where possible is also really important to accurately show your work. Its a really amazing tool to get yourself out there and in touch with people who want to work with you and follow your artistic journey.
Let us know about any current/future projects – Have you got anything planned in the near future?
I will be updating my online store on Friday May 1st with functional pieces just in time for Mother’s Day. You can follow @emily_brookfield on instagram for a preview of what will be available in the update and visit https://www.emilybrookfield.com/. I will also have a piece in the group show Rock Paper Scissors at Red Gallery some time this year (date TBA due to covid). I am always open to collaborations and commissions so please get in touch!
Emily is a ceramic artist based in Melbourne, Australia. Her work explores the intimate connection between the artist, the medium and the vessel as a form of unspoken communication. Emily uses a combination of wheel and hand building techniques to create her expressive and playful pieces, letting the clay guide her hand. At the end of 2016, Emily took her first pottery class at her local studio and from there left her full time job to practice and learn as much as she could about ceramics. She has since gone on to participate in markets such as Finders Keepers and the Melbourne Ceramics Market with her functional ware. Now in her second year of a BFA specialising in ceramics at RMIT University, her practice is shifting towards sculptural exploration.
Tell us a bit about what a day may look like for you as an artist. Where are you based and what are some of the things that you do in your daily routine? Tell us about your morning rituals, your cup of tea/coffee, plants, etc!
I wake up and make a green tea in one of my handmade mugs (tea just tastes better in a handmade vessel), have some brekkie and organise my day. I usually write a list of things I need/want to complete in a day and go from there. I converted one of the spare bedrooms in our rental into my studio and I am lucky enough to also have a large garage that houses my kiln (Red Hot Ronda) and glazing materials so I don’t have to go far to get to work. Sometimes it is difficult to separate work and home life but I try to stick to standard working hours but there are some days I get really inspired and carried away and I’ll be working late into the night. Once I get my list together I get into the studio. If I have things drying on the shelf or ready to be fired I’ll tend to that first and load the kiln so that’s ticking away during the day while I work on other things. If I have pieces to make I will knead up and portion the clay into balls and throw them on the wheel. Then put them aside on the shelf to dry out enough to trim which usually takes a day or so depending on the humidity and size of the piece. Ceramics is messy so I am always cleaning or it gets on top of you. Wiping down surfaces and mopping the floor. Every few months I’ll do a really big clean up and rearrange the studio to keep it fresh. I have some indoor plants in the studio that I kinda suck at taking care of and I need to make some planter pots for but I love having greenery in the space. I also have a few ceramic pieces made by friends on the shelves which I love. I usually have music playing, YouTube or a podcast on in the background because it can get a bit lonely working by yourself (looking forward to getting back to uni soon when things in the world settle!). I take a break for lunch and if the sun is out I’ll sit outside in the garden, check on the kiln or play with the dog then back to it til dinner.
Visit our Stockroom to view works by Emily Brookfield
How did you start your creative practice and why? Are you self-taught, an art student, a full-time artist, etc?
I had been thinking for a long time about taking pottery classes as a creative outlet when I was working in retail full time. I took my first class at a local studio in late 2016 and became hooked. I started one class a week then it went to two and then I ended up quitting my job at the start of 2017