LES BLAKEBROUGH
Les Blakebrough, one of Australia’s leading ceramic artists, is represented in many galleries in Australia and overseas including all Australian State galleries, the Australian National Gallery and the Royal Palace Collection Copenhagen Denmark. He has held dozens of solo exhibitions throughout Australia and is the recipient of numerous awards including a gold medal at the International Exhibition of Ceramic Art, Faenza, Italy.
British-born Blakebrough migrated to Australia in 1948 at the age of 18 and after serving an apprenticeship at Sturt Pottery at Mittagong, studied with Takeichi & Kanjiro Kawai in Japan before returning to Australia to become Director of the Sturt Workshops. From 1996 to 2010 he has been Principal Research Fellow of the Ceramic Research Unit at the University of Tasmania, which has formed a company to manufacture and market his products.
In December 2010 he moved to Sydney.
In 2011 he purchased a house at Coledale on the south coast of NSW.
Professional activities
2013 AM in Australian Honours List
2012 Established Studio at Coledale NSW
2008 Tasmania Senior Australian of the Year
2005 Member International Academy of Ceramics.
1996 – 2010 Principal Research Fellow, Ceramic Research Unit, University of Tasmania
1989 – 1996 Associate Professor and Head, Ceramic Studio, Tasmanian School of Art in Hobart, University of Tasmania
Solo exhibitions – small selection
2014 A Fine White Line Porcelain Sabbia Gallery Paddington NSW
My Place new porcelain Sturt Gallery Mittagiong
My Place new porcelain BMG Gallery Adelaide South Australia
2012 Les Blakebrough Porcelain Beaver Gallery Canberra ACT
2010 The Fifth Decade Exhibition Sabbia Gallery Paddington NSW November
The Fifth Decade Exhibition Bett Gallery Hobart Tasmania October
2009 New Porcelain at BMG Art Adelaide
New Porcelain at AXIA Melbourne ( Nov ’09 )
2008 Living Treasures” tour Tweed Region Gallery/ Port Macquarie Gallery/
Queen Victoria Meseum & Art Gallery Launceston / Noosa Region Art Gallery Q
2007 The New Porcelain Primavera Cambridge UK
2006 ‘Living Treasures” tour / Bathurst / Form-WA / Hawkesbury / Craft ACT/ TMAG
The New Porcelain Beaver Gallery ACT
The New Porcelain Bett Gallery Hobart
“Flora Tasmanica” Botanic Gardens Gallery ACT
2005 Object Gallery Sydney Survey Exhibition ‘Living Treasures”
LB Porcelain Sabbia Gallery Sydney
“Flora Tasmanica” Botanic Gardens Gallery Sydney
Group exhibitions
2015 Of National Significance Sturt Gallery Mittagong NSW
2010 Hobart City Art Prize Exhibition Hobart Tasmania
2007 Smart Works Design & the Handmade PowerHouse Museum Sydney
2006 Artbank Celebrating 25 Years of Australian Art State & Regional Galleries
Surface Connections Manningham Gallery Victoria
International Ceramic Award Gold Coast City Art Gallery
2004/5 Surface:Beneath& Beyond A Tasmanian Touring Exhibition.
2002 Material Culture, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra;
Ritual of Tea, Jam Factory, South Australia & regional gallery tour
2001 Response to the Island, Ten Days on the Island Festival, Long Gallery, Hobart
1999 Contemporary Australian Craft to Japan – Hokkaido, Takaoka & Shiga, & Customs House, Sydney
Public collections
All Australian State and Territory galleries + Australian National Gallery, Canberra
Imperial Palace Collection, Tokyo, Japan
National Museum of Applied Art, Oslo, Norway
Royal Palace Collection, Copenhagen, Denmark
Consultancy and commissions
2005 Flora Tasmanica Limited Edition Porcelain to HRH Princess Mary of Denmark
2002 Vice-Chancellor’s Southern Ice porcelain dinner set, University of Tasmania
1990 University of Tasmania Centenary Fountain
Awards
1998–1999 Australia Council Creative Arts Fellowship
1996–1997 Australia Council Research Fellowship
1992 Churchill Research Fellowship
1974 Gold medal, International Exhibition of Ceramic Art, Faenza, Italy
Research grants
1998–2000 Australian Research Council (ARC) Grant, Industrial processes for craft-based industry
1998–1999 ARC Grant, Porcelain clay development
1995 ARC Grant, Industrial processes for craft-based industry;
ARC Grant, Porcelain clay development
Bibliography
2010 Les Blakebrough 80th Birthday Exhibition a Bett Gallery Monograph
2005 Les Blakebrough/Ceramics-Living Treasures Masters of Australian Craft Holmes J Thames & Hudson
1997 ‘Flexible format kiln research’, Ceramics Technical, vol. 3, no. 3, pp.
1996 ‘Porcelain clay research’, Ceramics Technical, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 3-15
1994 ‘Research in industry’, Ceramics Art and Perception, vol. 18, pp. 3-7
1989 Les Blakebrough: Potter, Holmes, J., Bay Books, Sydney