Biography & CV

Caitlin Clarke is a maker and artist born in Aotearoa New Zealand and based in St Dominic, Cornwall, UK. Working primarily with clay, Caitlin is pursuing a ceramic practice embedded in the local Cornish landscape. Using foraged materials, local clays and observing her surroundings, Caitlin works to make sculptural pottery that has a sense of the seasons, its own presence and functionality. Primarily interested in stories the land can tell us, Caitlin has a research practice following archeology, geology and social histories often followed by field trips and material research in the studio. Each piece of pottery holds a story of place and tells a story of human involvement in the land, not on the land.

Caitlin holds a Bachelors of Fine arts majoring in Sculpture from The University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand alongside a Postgraduate certificate in Library and Information Studies, majoring in Archives and records management from Victoria University of Wellington.

Enquiries and Commissions

  • For general, trade and wholesale enquiries

  • Commissions and exhibitions

  • Workshops and private classes

  • Press and sales

I am currently open to commissions related to lighting, furniture, sculptural works and projects rooted in place.

Curriculum Vitae

Academic history:

2014 – 2017: The University of Canterbury, Bachelor of Fine Arts. Major: Sculpture.

2019-2020: Victoria University of Wellington. Postgraduate certificate in Library and Information Studies, majoring in Archives and records management

Recent exhibitions:

States of Flow - Sanderson Contemporary Art, Auckland, New Zealand, June - July 2023

Mora Farm/Art Residency, Mora Farm Liskeard Cornwall, Feb - May 2023

Bold Blue, Red Hill, WAVE Dunedin, New Zealand,  June 2022

A home, Sculpture on the Peninsula, Banks Peninsula New Zealand, January 2022

An island whose thoughts turn seaward, ADJØ, Dunedin, New Zealand (solo) November 2021

Belly full of green, Hot Lunch (solo) Christchurch, New Zealand, July 2021

Piki Mai; Up here! RM at Auckland Art fair, New Zealand, February, 2021. 

Rocky base, outstretched palm (returning), An ongoing reciprocity process around Te Wai Pōunamu, New Zealand, 2018- 2021.

A Path In, Laurel Projectspace (solo), Dunedin, New Zealand, November 2019.

A Weakened dark in the deepest, deepest blue, RM, Auckland, New Zealand, September 2019.

One cheek on a warm stone, one finger in a cool stream, Corbans Estate (solo), Auckland, New Zealand, November 2018

Wā O Mua, Blue Oyster, Dunedin, New Zealand, September 2018

Ōtautahi Kōrerotia: Are you being looked after? The Physics Room, Christchurch, New Zealand, June 2018

Shared Lines, Christchurch, Wellington & Kaikoura, New Zealand, 2017, 2019

A soft place to sit and read (pink matter), Graduate show, Ilam Campus Gallery, Christchurch, New Zealand, 2017

Entropy, The Refinery Artspace (solo), Nelson, New Zealand, (solo) 2017

Whakahoki, The Art Center, Christchurch, New Zealand, 2017

Following Waiura, First Thursdays, Christchurch, New Zealand 2017

Meadow, The Casting Room, Christchurch, New Zealand, (solo) 2017

Ko Wai Koe?, First Thursdays, Christchurch New Zealand, 2016

Press:

The Artpaper, SOIL, Deep time Submerging A response to Caitlin Clarke’s Bold Blue, Red Hill, by Andrea Bell Published 2023

Garden of clay, June 2022, a collaboration with Director and filmmaker, Martin Sagadin for Legacies: five short films for cinema commissioned by CIRCUIT Artist Moving Image.

Fulbright University Vietnam, Saigon, and Á Space, Hanoi: 13 January 2024

Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, Wellington: 12 May—30 July 2023

Artspace Aotearoa, Auckland: 2 Sept—22 Oct 2022

Hot Lunch Gallery, LEFTOVERS, Published 2023

Hot Lunch Gallery, Response to Belly Full of Green, Hamish Petersen, 2021. 

“Finding time to discuss nothing”, Ōtautahi Kōrerotia for As Needed, as possible: emerging discussions on art, labor and collaboration Enjoy Gallery and GLORIA books, 2021. Listen here.

Art Not Science - Episode 23 - Alix Ashworth, Caitlin Clarke, Dave Marshall, and Maia McDonald ( 0:42:42), June 21, 2021 Listen here. 

Ceramics NZ, Beneath each history, another history, on the work of Caitlin Clarke,Sarah McClintock, 2020.

Sedimentality, Milly Mitchell-Anyon, 2019. Written for A path in Laurel Projectspace, November, 2019

Art Seen: November 14, by Robyn Maree Pickens, 2019 Read here.

A weakened dark, in the deepest, deepest blue, Arwen Miriama Sommer, 2019 

Pottery Collections:

A river from above- 116 objects, Christchurch, New Zealand,  November 2022

Tidal Zone, 4 objects, Christchurch, New Zealand, August 2021

Iron Floss- 47 objects, Christchurch, New Zealand,  December 2021 

Darker Rock Velvet- 97 objects, Christchurch, New Zealand,  August 2021

Carrier - 45 objects, Christchurch, New Zealand, September 2020

Curatorial Projects:

Common Ground, Next Gallery, Christchurch,New Zealand,  2016.

2017 - ongoing: Ōtautahi Kōrerotia.

https://www.facebook.com/okcommunityarts 

ŌK consists of Māia Abraham, Hamish Petersen and myself. 

Awards:

2022 Halswell Pottery Group 50th Anniversary Exhibition - Ceramic practitioner of Merit

2017 Blues award for Arts Engagement.

2016 Rosemary Johnson Muller Scholarship


2014 University of Canterbury Undergraduate Entrance Scholarship


2013 Top art award, Excellence endorsed all NCEA.

Residencies:

Mora Farm/Art Residency, Mora Farm Liskeard Cornwall, Feb 2023

Install residency, Hot Lunch, Christchurch New Zealand, July 2021

Tui Residency, Corbans Art Estate, Auckland, New Zealand, Jan-Feb, 2018

Student Series Residency, SOFA Gallery, Christchurch, 2016