Owen Rye: A Review

Gallery LNL presents a solo exhibition of recent and rare works by Owen Rye, his first solo show in Sydney in nearly a decade. The exhibition brings together his mature anagama fired pieces—exemplars of his practice as one of Australia's most celebrated wood-firing ceramicists—alongside his more recent explorations beyond the anagama tradition, into experiments with glaze and play with vessel forms. The anagama pieces mark the last of Rye's works with anagama firing, following his retirement from them in 2016. These works demonstrate his command of the wood-firing process, in which every stage—from clay selection and form-shaping to temperature and atmosphere—stages the firing as the ultimate test. In his recent work, Rye experiments with a variety of glazes and glazing techniques, including Nuka glaze and beaded glaze, while maintaining his consistent aesthetic concern with capturing an "endless complexity and layering of surface."