<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://staging.ceramic.school/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2022-06-20-at-8.33.56-AM.png"><img src="https://staging.ceramic.school/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2022-06-20-at-8.33.56-AM-1024x970.png" alt="" class="wp-image-94352" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Last week the international ceramics community lost an absolutely inspiring,gifted and generous artist; Merran Esson. Based out of Australia,Merran's work is recognized the world over for it's luscious abstract representations of the natural world combined with the geometry and the sometimes organized chaos of the man made city. "Her artworks express the contrast between the extremes of country and city. Influences from her rural childhood combine with the urban confines of city life to produce large objects connecting in ways that explore mutual survival. Objects in outdoor spaces have for many years interested Esson,sitting as reminders of water tanks,silos and trees in the Australian rural landscape. Merran Esson investigates a range of cultural influences,reminding us of the influence of history and place." (<a href="http://www.merranesson.com/about">via www.merranesson.com/about</a>)</figcaption></figure>







<h2>Merran Esson: 40 years of art</h2>



Her career spanned over 40 years,including the production of stand alone sculptural works and site specific ceramic sculpture interventions in the landscape. Below are two images of works from the 1980's highlighting her dramatic and skilled approach to making. 



<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://staging.ceramic.school/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2022-06-20-at-8.39.02-AM.png"><img src="https://staging.ceramic.school/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2022-06-20-at-8.39.02-AM-1024x1024.png" alt="" class="wp-image-94354" /></a></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://staging.ceramic.school/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2022-06-20-at-8.39.43-AM.png"><img src="https://staging.ceramic.school/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2022-06-20-at-8.39.43-AM-1024x806.png" alt="" class="wp-image-94353" /></a></figure>
</figure>



Her recognizable style using bold lush colours garnered her recognition as a member of the International Academy of Ceramics,and in art collections internationally. Over her 20+ years of teaching she influenced and inspired countless other artists in our community. If you are one such artist,we'd love to hear from you in the comments about your stories and memories of Merran. 



<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://staging.ceramic.school/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2022-06-20-at-8.35.28-AM.png"><img src="https://staging.ceramic.school/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2022-06-20-at-8.35.28-AM-1024x522.png" alt="" class="wp-image-94357" /></a></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://staging.ceramic.school/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2022-06-20-at-8.35.57-AM.png"><img src="https://staging.ceramic.school/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2022-06-20-at-8.35.57-AM-1024x679.png" alt="" class="wp-image-94361" /></a></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://staging.ceramic.school/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2022-06-20-at-8.36.27-AM.png"><img src="https://staging.ceramic.school/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2022-06-20-at-8.36.27-AM-1024x677.png" alt="" class="wp-image-94360" /></a></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://staging.ceramic.school/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2022-06-20-at-8.37.30-AM.png"><img src="https://staging.ceramic.school/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2022-06-20-at-8.37.30-AM-1024x592.png" alt="" class="wp-image-94359" /></a></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://staging.ceramic.school/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2022-06-20-at-8.37.58-AM.png"><img src="https://staging.ceramic.school/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2022-06-20-at-8.37.58-AM-1024x675.png" alt="" class="wp-image-94358" /></a></figure>
</figure>







<h2>Ceramic Stories</h2>



In the last few years of her life she worked alongside her children to create a beautiful book: A Life of Collecting. "This is the stories behind the private collection of Merran Esson. Collected over her life and coumented by Merran's two children as she battles a brain tumour. Originally intended to simply document each piece with the collection it quickly became clear that for Merran collecting is as much,if not more,about community. This book documents a group of stories about Merran's personal connections to the global ceramics community and how the pieces ended up in her collection." (via www.merranesson.com/product-page/merran-esson-a-life-of-collecting)



You can purchase this <a href="https://www.merranesson.com/product-page/merran-esson-a-life-of-collecting" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">collection of stories and art online</a>. 



Find out more about Merran's art and life through her <a href="https://www.merranesson.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">website</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/merran_esson/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">instagram</a>. 







Discover thousands of other artists,exhibits,studios,and more in <a href="https://staging.ceramic.school/directory/">our online ceramics directory</a>!

Merran Esson - A Life in Clay

German

English

Elite

Nunito Sans

Nunito

Roboto

Primary Menu

System Defaults

CustomVariables

Primary color

Primary color hover

Heading text color

Body text color

Banner text color

Primary button text color

Primary button text hover color

Secondary button background color

Secondary button background hover color

Secondary button text color

Secondary button text hover color

Navbar item background color

Navbar item text color

Navbar item text hover color

Merran Esson - A Life in Clay

Merran Esson - A Life in Clay

Related Posts

5 Ceramic Artists Making Positive Environmental Impacts

Beate Kuhn's Ever Changing Practice

Introducing Artist Eloisa Gobbo

Meet the Maker: Audronė Dačkutė

Tony Natsoulas at Sonoma Valley Museum of Art