A FAMILY AFFAIR KEANE CERAMICS

PHOTO JOSEF NALEVANSKY

Family A AFFAIR Inspiring the hearts and muddy hands of potters since 1979, the Keane family are local legends. And thanks to the pandemic, their empire continues to grow.

WORDS JESS VERRENDER

Known as the ‘home of Australia’s favourite clay’, Keane Ceramics has proudly evolved from a small home studio into one of the country’s largest manufacturers, distributors and online retailers of clay. Starting from humble beginnings, the beloved heritage brand was founded by Margaret and Roger Keane (pictured bottom right, opposite page). Their daughter Babette, who alongside her brother Giles inherited the business in 1999, tells her parents’ story beautifully. “My mother took up pottery classes in the late 1960s and she had a natural talent, quickly becoming proficient in throwing and making,” she says. “My dad studied ceramics and became interested in sculptural forms around the same time. They bought a small acreage in Somersby and built a home there in 1972. I was brought back from the hospital where I was born to the same house that is our family home today.” What started as a hobby turned into a full-time occupation when the Keanes opened their studio, attached to the family home, in 1973. “At that time, it was fashionable and practical to buy local and support artists with handmade dinnerware," Babette explains. "Our kitchen was always stocked with Mum's new-found wares. Having to use a cup that was mass produced was so foreign to us, and never a substitute for a beautiful handmade piece.” Babette and Giles grew up watching the process of firing, glazing, firing again and unpacking kilns. The studio became a gallery displaying pots, bowls, cups, plates and more. Gallery owners visited regularly and a long table was packed with one-off pieces that were either bought direct or shipped off to make way for the cycle to be repeated. Recently, during the 50-year anniversary of the Gosford Regional Art Prize exhibition, Babette learned that Roger had won the Gosford Ceramics Prize in 1971, 1972, 1974 and 1976. “It was a great honour to see my dad chosen in the 50th-anniversary exhibition,” she says. “Many of his pieces are archived in the gallery’s collection.”

The connection of cooking and clay holds fond memories for the Keanes. Babette remembers Margaret encasing quails in clay sculptures that were baked in the oven. Pizza-obsessed Roger held some massive pizza parties at the studio and recently built his own wood-fired pizza oven rigged with all the temperature reading equipment you would need when firing a kiln. Giles and Babette recall that on every holiday or family trip they would visit customers, which reinforced the passion that inspired and drove their parents. “I remember taking holidays from my job at the time to help Mum with promotional trips for the business. I would share the driving from town to town, visiting potters’ associations and distributors along the way,” says Babette. Eventually Margaret and Roger bought a small group of clay pits from a local supplier, renaming the business Keane Ceramics. Knowing that local clays from small seams would have greater variation and limited supply, Roger started researching how to use a range of commercially available materials with consistent supply for his formulations. Largely self-taught, development meant a lot of research for Roger, along with learning from constant testing. Later he would buy a critical piece of lab equipment to measure the thermal expansion and contraction of the clays. This was key to ensuring good glaze for the end user. Roger would test the properties and measurements while Margaret would test the plasticity and working properties in her studio. Running each clay through a series of processes and firings, the pair developed a range of stonewares, earthenware and grogged clays. Some of these heritage formulations are still in production, while being updated over the years to include new materials as others became unavailable. Babette had not long finished business studies when her parents discussed her coming to work within the business. She was interested in learning more about the family business, and motivated to grow the company and innovate Keane Ceramics for future generations. “When I started we didn't have a computer system, so it was my job to bring us into a new era where we could move beyond clay and offer pottery supplies and equipment,” she says. “I took on the role of office manager, which freed my father to dedicate himself to more clay formulation and Mum to continue her passion.” As Keane Ceramics entered the next phase of its story, Babette’s brother Giles took over the formulation and production from Roger while Babette focused on marketing, retail and developing the brand beyond the clay range. In 2021 she took sole ownership of the company and became the only woman to lead clay manufacturing in Australia. Under her leadership, the company recently experienced an unforeseen surge in business, largely due to covid lockdowns. Newcomers were keen to try their hand at ceramics either as a hobby or an art form they could turn into a profession. There was a marked increase in both potters and the demand to buy handmade wares. On top of this, celebrities such as Naomi Watts, Brad Pitt, Seth Rogan and Kate Ceberano took up the wheel, creating new headlines for the industry. “The younger generation gave pottery a resurgence in the ‘cool sphere’ and it hasn’t slowed down since,” Babette says. Keane Ceramics took the opportunity to evolve to the next level. Even in the uncertain times of choked supply chains, inflation and a pending recession Babette has led the way, with her new flagship store in West Gosford adding new clay bodies to the range and seeking more distribution opportunities from overseas. For more information, see keaneceramics.com.au