Claire Badenoch
Claire Badenoch is a 17-year-old 2024 high school graduate born and raised on the Gold Coast. Claire has a deep passion for pottery and ceramics and began her journey in a beginner’s wheel-throwing pottery class at 14. Claire’s recent Senior School artwork portfolio was characterised by innovative and vibrant forms, often inspired by her love of the marine environment.
With a keen eye for the intricate beauty of sea life, her creations often reflect the fluid forms, textures and vibrant colours beneath the waves. Claire aims to foster a deeper appreciation of the natural world and its delicate balance through her art and remains committed to pushing the boundaries of traditional ceramics, creating pieces that invite both visual and tactile engagement.
Tactile Conversations
Tactile Conversations explores an intimate dialogue between human presence and an unnamed ceramic form. The contrasting blood-red gloss, with its organic, bulbous suction-cap-like shape suggests both an inviting tactility and a visceral offering to empathise with the helpless ‘creature’ – its identity left to the imagination of its companion. The muffled womb-like sounds of a heartbeat that echo from within the depths of this piece reinforce this sense of a living, breathing organism, creating an emotional relationship that connects with the guest sitter.
What sparked the idea for the work you are exhibiting at SWELL this year?
What I love most in life is being curious and a little bit silly, and Vivid Playground was born from that joy. I wanted to create a space where shapes and colours invite people to rediscover their own sense of playfulness. Our experiences can be light, fun, and wonderfully whimsical. With vibrant hues and eccentric forms, I imagined a joyful realm where people could pause, smile, and remember that life doesn’t always have to be so serious, sometimes, you’re allowed to just play.
What keeps you coming back to sculpture as a form of expression?
What keeps me coming back to sculpture is the pure magic of bringing a feeling, memory, or daydream into the real world. It’s like giving my wildest imaginings a body and a heartbeat, if you can dream it, you can build it. I love that sculpture has infinite possibilities; it can be anything, in any shape, scale, or material. For me, it’s the form that feels the most like freedom, the easiest way to turn the ideas in my head into something people can see, touch, and experience.
Instagram @oops.pots
Come and see for yourself at SWELL Sculpture Festival, Pacific Parade, Currumbin 12th – 21st September.