Jeff Mincham

Jeff Mincham was born in Milang, South Australia. From 1970-73 he studied at the South Australia School of Art. In 1974 he completed Postgraduate studies at the Tasmanian School of Art. Since 1976 Mincham has worked as a fulltime artist potter from own studio at Cherryville in the Adelaide Hills. He has participated in over 70 solo exhibitions in Australia, NZ and USA and over 200 group shows, including invitational survey and touring exhibitions in Australia, USA, NZ, Italy, France, Japan, China, Taiwan, Britain and the Netherlands. Mincham has extensive experience as guest lecturer, demonstrator and conference speaker throughout Australia and overseas.

Mincham has participated in over 100 ceramics workshops and summer schools conducted in the UK, USA and NZ, including Guest Demonstrator, International Potters Festival, Aberystwyth [1991]; Guest Demonstrator, Raku Ho’olaul’ea, Hawaii [1994]; Guest Lecturer, Glasgow School of Art [1996]. He has judged over 20 local, national and international Art and Ceramic Awards including, Gold Coast Ceramic Award [1998]; Circular Head Arts Festival, Tasmania [1993]; Walkers Award Australia [1982 and 1993]; Fletcher Challenge Award NZ [1986]. Mincham has won numerous awards and prizes in Australia and overseas including, Fletcher Challenge Award [1985 and 1989]; Mayfair Ceramics Award [1982 and 1984]; Australia Council Fellowship [1991]; Honorary Mention, 3rd Mino International Ceramic Award [1992]; Newcastle Region Art Gallery Award [1997]; South Australian Ceramics Award [1998]; Townsville Ceramic Award [1998]; Bathurst Art Purchase Award [1998] and the 19th National Craft Acquisition Award, Darwin [2000].

Jeff Mincham is represented in over 100 public and private collections in Australia and overseas, including the major state and regional public collections of Parliament House, Canberra; Government House, SA; Auckland Art Gallery NZ; National Gallery of Malaysia; Australian Chancery, Saudi Arabia; National Gallery of Taiwan, Taipei; Aberystwyth Arts Centre, UK; State of Hawaii Public Collection; Silber, Stephen Alpert and Johnson and in private collections nationally and internationally.

For over thirty years Jeff Mincham has lived and worked in a remarkable landscape setting at Cherryville in the Adelaide Hills. His studio window looks eastward across deep timbered valleys and forested ranges that provide a dramatic backdrop to some spectacular weather events, so it is no surprise that the colours, moods, textures and events of the landscape have found their way into his work. His ceramic vessels are the result of a unique patination process that Mincham refers to as ‘firing and weathering at the same time’. Carefully considered colours and tones are beautifully resolved and are the final result of various complex processes and techniques.

‘The colours, moods, textures and events comprise a universe of constant change which retains a seamless, constant identity and provides an inexhaustible source for my forms and their surface treatments. The works are often fired many times to achieve the depth of surface and unique character that they finally attain and many do not survive the journey. However, I have survived a long journey myself to arrive at a point of strong resolution in my work and I conclude that it is the constant struggle that produces the best results’. Jeff Mincham