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Meet the Maker Gallery Officer Jenny Hunter visits ceramicist Lyndel Henry of Henry & Tunks at her studio in Rutherford. in the School of Architecture for ten years. I still think of myself as a designer rather than an artist. How would you describe your work’s aesthetic? I’d call it soft minimalism: muted colours, clean outlines, no unnecessary ornamentation. What inspires you when you create new pieces? Sometimes it’s about what I need or would like to have. But I also talk to customers at markets; their requests for certain things may influence what I produce. I try not to look too much at other people’s work as I don’t want to feel like I am copying anything, but I do spend ages on Instagram looking at textures, shapes and details – such as in fabrics, architecture or organic forms – for inspiration.
Can you tell me a little bit about your creative journey and how your interest in ceramics came about?
Where does ‘Tunks’ come from in your brand name?
Sure! I became interested in ceramics at quite a young age and chose it as a subject in high school. After school I did admin at TAFE but soon realised I didn’t want to work in an office, so I completed Advanced Diplomas in both Fine Arts and Ceramics. I then did a four-year Industrial Design degree, after which I worked as an Industrial Design lecturer
No one has really asked me that before! Olga Tunks was my father’s mother. I spent a lot of time with her as a child; she was a strong and capable woman who told me stories and encouraged my creativity, and even let me clear out part of her shed so I could make my first studio. 20