Nga Kaihanga Uku at Driving Creek: Glazes - Inspiration and Discovery with Karuna Douglas

About the Artist:   Karuna Douglas Born in Aotearoa, Karuna had no artistic abilities until a brain injury in 1997 unleashed her creative talent in the ceramic arts. She combined her love and knowledge of chemistry with an overwhelming passion and skill for glazes. This has resulted in a unique award-winning art practice that is known for its incredibly rich glazes and ceramic surfaces. As an indigenous artist, the graphic intensity of Karuna’s work is strongly influenced by her multi-cultural upbringing. In her vibrant tilework, traditional Indian influences such as imagery, textures and colours are clearly identifiable, all elements that strongly reference her ancestral homeland; while her signature pounamu-inspired glazes evoke a unique sense of connection to her birthplace, with strong and unmistakable references to Aotearoa’s dynamic and volatile spaces. “My work exists in the layers just below and just above the clay. It’s only microns thick but here, in the interfacial zone, that’s where I work.”