Year 10 Sgraffito Vessels - Tatachilla Lutheran College

Student artists in year 10 have created slab-formed terracotta clay vases inspired by the ceramic vessels made by the Ernabella Artists in the community of Pukatja in the far north-west of South Australia.

The Ernabella Artists are part of the oldest, continuously running First Nations art centre in Australia. They are renowned for their diverse art making in the mediums of paint, fabric and ceramicware.

Ernabella ceramics are particularly celebrated for their intricate designs and patterning which speak to the flora and fauna of the eastern Musgrave Ranges, and which are refined through sgraffito – a scratching technique which involves etching a design onto a painted clay surface (to reveal the base layer below).

Like the Ernabella artists, students have explored hand-building clay techniques and used underglazes to colour their clay. They have also used sgraffito to adorn their vases with floral motifs.

Coral Winterbourn | Art Teacher