About Anthea
I love the meditative solitude of building with clay, the energy of colour and the feel of a brush in my hand.
The clay becomes my canvas, and I have complete freedom to transform the naked form into a vibrant, contemporary work of art.
This is where I dare to be different – brushing, blending and manipulating oil paint while creating spontaneous patterns of shape and movement on the surface.
Biography
An award-winning artist, Anthea Stayt has excelled in the creation of ceramic art, clay form sculptures and abstract oil painting. She has progressively developed her unique style by incorporating all three disciplines.
Throughout the 1990’s, Anthea attended ceramic classes that taught her the skills of brushwork and glazing of slip cast items. In time, she realised that she wanted to design, build and finish original forms, so she attended pottery classes and learned the basic techniques of hand-building with clay.
After a few years, Anthea had a vision of finishing her sculptures, not with glaze, but by painting onto the fired surface. So she enrolled in an art workshop tutored by international artist Vjekoslav Nemesh, where she discovered the benefits of using oil paint as a medium.
Through experimenting firstly on canvas and then on a clay surface, Anthea was finally able to develop the distinctive style that has led to her work receiving Supreme and Premier Awards, as well as her selection into national juried exhibitions.
Anthea has participated in numerous solo and shared exhibitions throughout the North and South Islands, including the NZ Art Show and NZ Sculpture Onshore. She has been a finalist several times in both the Waiclay National Ceramic and the NZ Portage Awards.
Anthea is a member of the Taranaki Arts Trail board and has opened her studio annually as part of this event. She is also a member of New Plymouth Potters.
She currently resides in New Plymouth, where she works from her home studio.
Statement
I love the meditative solitude of building with clay, the energy of colour and the feel of a brush in my hand.
I am able to create unique sculptural forms by allowing the communication between my hands and the clay to determine the outcome of each piece. After a high bisque fire, the clay becomes my canvas and the most exciting and expressive process now begins for me. I have complete freedom to transform the naked form into a vibrant, contemporary work of art.
This is where I dare to be different. I want to have control over the finish so I choose to brush, blend and manipulate oil paint while creating spontaneous patterns of shape and movement on the surface. This results in a harmonious balance of colour, contrast and depth with an almost luminescent ethereal quality. It also brings an unexpected and intriguing dimension that challenges traditional pottery decoration.
Awards
Nemesh Art Award
Winner 2022
Portage Ceramic Awards
Finalist 2019
Finalist 2014
Waiclay National Ceramic Exhibition
Finalist 2019
Finalist 2017
Finalist 2015
Finalist 2011
New Plymouth Potters Inc
Supreme Award 2017
Supreme Award 2005
J D Reid Gallery
Gallery Choice Award 2017
NZ Potters Lower North Island Exhibition
Finalist 2012
Real Tart Gallery
People’s Choice Award “My Cup Of Tea Challenge” 2012
South Canterbury Pottery Group
Premier Award 2003
Premier Award 2004
Exhibitions
2022
Sculpture Festival, Christchurch
Nemesh Art Award Exhibition, Whangarei & Christchurch
Art of Resilience, New Plymouth
2020
Rainbow Connection, New Plymouth
Taranaki Arts Trail Artists, New Plymouth
2019
Portage Ceramic Awards, Auckland
Waiclay National Ceramic Exhibition, Hamilton
Mindful.l, New Plymouth
2018
NZ Sculpture Onshore, Auckland
Synergy, New Plymouth
Message in a Bouquet, New Plymouth
I Am Woman, Stratford
2017
Waiclay National Ceramic Exhibition, Hamilton
NZ Art Show, Wellington
Taranaki Arts Trail Artists, Stratford
Art Fusions, Auckland
Down to Earth, Stratford
2016
Colour & Form, Stratford
Taranaki Arts Trail Artists, Stratford
2015
Waiclay National Ceramic Exhibition, Hamilton
Shades of Difference, Eltham
Taranaki Arts Trail Artists, Stratford
2014
Portage Ceramic Awards, Auckland
Interconnection IV, Auckland
My Cup of Tea, New Plymouth
2013
Blown Away With Glass, Stratford
RSM Law Plunket Art Show, Timaru
2012
Interconnection II, New Plymouth
NZ Potters Lower North Island, Stratford
2011
Waiclay National Ceramic Exhibition, Hamilton
2005-2019
New Plymouth Potters, New Plymouth
2003, 2004
South Canterbury Pottery Group, Timaru
Galleries
Northland
Quarry Art Centre (Whangarei)
Auckland
Lake House Arts Centre (Takapuna)
O Peretu Fort Takapuna (Narrow Neck)
Te Uru Waitakere Contemporary Gallery (Titirangi)
Upstairs Gallery (Titirangi)
Waiheke Community Art Gallery (Waiheke)
Waikato
Waikato Museum (Hamilton)
Bay of Plenty
Lightwave Gallery (Mount Maunganui)
The Art Lounge (Mount Maunganui)
Zohar Gallery (Mount Maunganui)
Taranaki
J D Reid Gallery (New Plymouth)
Koru Gallery (New Plymouth)
Percy Thomson Gallery (Stratford)
Real Tart Gallery (New Plymouth)
Hawke’s Bay
Artmosphere Gallery (Waipawa)
Wellington
Kura Gallery (Wellington)
TSB Arena (Wellington)
Canterbury
Fishers Fine Arts (Christchurch)
Aigantighe Gallery (Timaru)
Art on the Quay (Christchurch)
The Art Shop (Christchurch)
