Ahead of this weekend’s North Coast Mud Trail, we spoke to well-known local potter, Brooke Clunie about her passion for pottery and why she thinks there has been a resurgence in its popularity.

As we search for meaning in our fast-paced lives and face an increasingly uncertain world, the arts and crafts are making a huge comeback. Pottery, in particular, gives people a way to connect with what’s around them and use their hands to experience something not just decorative, but functional too.

Brooke Clunie is an artisan potter who specialises in wheel-thrown ceramics.

Her trade has taken her from an Arts degree, majoring in Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology and Fine Art at Sydney University, to London and back to the Northern Rivers where she grew up.

“It was 25 years ago in the middle of a recession and a friend and I set up what became a successful pottery studio on the third floor of London’s Camden Market. We were in-between hammocks from South America and Lloyd, a Jamaican Rastafarian who played Mariah Carey non-stop,” Brooke laughed.

Upon returning to Sydney in the 90s, Brooke established her gallery, Red Door Studio, in Sydney’s Annandale before changing pace again and opening her destination-studio in the Byron hinterland.

The creative space acts as both a gallery and workspace where she offers different ceramic experiences to a burgeoning market.

Brooke has seen first-hand the growing trend among people wanting to connect through art and her pottery classes are a big hit with tourists and locals.

“There has always been a lot of potters on the north coast.

Brooke, originally from Lismore, remembers going to the Channon Craft Market as a child and eagerly seeking out the potters.

“Steve Sawkins was always at the Channon. He set up Northern Rivers Pottery Supplies more than 30 years ago and the business is still going strong. 

“For the past three years there has been an enthusiastic and intense interest in wanting to learn how to use the potter’s wheel and clay in general.

“Almost daily I receive emails and calls from people wanting to learn how to use the wheel or to gift a lesson to a friend or loved one.

“It’s definitely on trend. 

Brooke believes the food movement, where consumers seek a paddock-to-plate experience, has also helped create an interest in pottery.

“I believe it’s a natural progression from the food culture we have and also being 'mindful'.

“People are concerned with where their food is coming from, what it is served on and importantly how we consume more generally.

“What I try to achieve with my pottery is a grounding platform for the consumer to engage with the whole process of eating and drinking. 

“At a restaurant, a hand-made piece allows you time to contemplate and appreciate not only the food but the vessel it’s served in or on. 

The Byron Hinterland has long been a haven from creative types to practice their art, and the pottery community continues to grow steadily.

“There’s so many new potters in the area and the Mud Trail gets bigger and more popular each year. Lismore TAFE produces some really good potters with recent graduates doing extremely well.

“You also have the older potters, like myself, who have been doing it for a while and finding success too.

Brooke’s work can be seen in cafes across the country and she has built a large client base of return customers.

Closer to home, the award-winning restaurant, Harvest in Newrybar, is using her smaller serving pieces for their tasting plates, desserts, olives and breads. The almost minimalist look of her works provide the perfect base for the colourful, locally-sourced ingredients served at the restaurant. 

“I also sell my work in the Harvest Deli, the support from them has been really fantastic.

The Clunes Store also sells Brooke’s pieces, particularly the travel cups, which owners Brian and Karen are selling like hot cakes in the café and the store. 

Increasingly, Brooke believes that consumers are interested in seeing unique, beautiful pieces that are also functional.

“How it feels, the lip of a cup, how a teapot pours and a bowl performs, that’s what is important to me and the feedback that I’m getting is people like to hold and use my works.

As more and more people see the therapeutic benefits of time at the potter’s wheel and the interest in the age old art continues to grow, this week’s Mud Trail event promises to be bigger than ever.

“The Mud Trail is a fun way for people to see how a pottery studio operates and it’s an opportunity to see how creative the Northern Coast pottery community has become," Brooke said. 

The North Coast Mud Trail runs from 19-20 August and allows visitors to see demonstrations, hear artists talk and participate in various workshops. 

Make sure you drop in and see Brooke at Red Door Studio. Follow her work on Instagram - brookeclunie.