Interview with Nicci Parry-Jones

Nicci Parry-Jones, also known as PJ Pottery, is a well-known Australian ceramicist living on Tamborine Mountain. She is a multi award-winning ceramic artist whose work is celebrated every day in homes across Australia and overseas.

Nicci’s signature Steampunk teapots and ceramic homewares add a touch of whimsy to everyday life. She has a rich background in a variety of arts projects including public art murals and community arts, and one of her large scale murals is held in public collection in New South Wales (NSW).

Nicci now teaches out of her well established studio on Tamborine Mountain, often travelling to teach workshops. Her work is a celebration of style and technique – a result of her many years working with clay and her continued passion for experimentation.

In this short interview I find out more about her background and approach to her art practice.

How would you describe your practice?

My practice is a mix of shambolic whimsy in my homeware ceramics, directed by my excitement in finding new techniques, and a disciplined focus for my more complex forms such as my Steampunk ceramics.

Describe your most notable or favourite piece/s to make or items to produce?

I guess I have become well-known for my teapots, the Steampunk aesthetic gives me a broad range of decoration possibilities which never gets tired.

Being able to over-decorate is a dream – the more I do, the better it is! I have recently extended this eccentric style into sculptural towers and table lamps. I gravitated to teapots because I love the challenge of these multi-piece forms. I get a sense of excitement each time I have the teapot body, spout and lid ready for construction.

What were your most notable or favourite collaboration/s or exhibition/s?

Interestingly, one of the most memorable collaborations was not pottery related. After completing my arts degree, I was invited to be an artist in residence at the Islamic Arts Museum, Malaysia. A colleague and I were tasked to produce an interactive museum brochure that

would be informative and educational for visitors. I got to spend a week wandering the museum, exploring their extensive library and collating information to bring back to Australia to complete the brochure.

Spending time with the welcoming staff, eating glorious curries and walking around Kuala Lumpur was an amazing experience.

Can you tell us how you got started in the arts/ceramics & the reasons you chose ceramics as your medium?

I began ceramics in the ‘80s making fairies, dragons, and castles to sell at the Tamborine Mountain Market. After this introduction I was hooked, so I went through the NSW TAFE system of studio ceramics and eventually completed an Advanced Diploma of Ceramics.

I have loved clay from the start: its initial malleability to shape into a pottery piece that once fired, will last for centuries. A large part of my work is creating one-off pieces, they have stories and even now, 30-plus years later, I can still identify the techniques and thought process behind my early work.

Can you share a little about the journey to your current practice?

I can’t imagine not being a potter, it has been something that has consistently brought me joy and creative satisfaction.

I’ve had many solo exhibitions over the years and each one has further developed my approach and helped me refine my individual style.

The day I chose it as a full-time career was after 10 years in arts administration, helping other artists to make a career for themselves. I packed up my life and sold my house in a small rural town

in NSW and moved into a shed on the Sunshine Coast. I shared a workshop with the amazing production potter, Peter Wallace and made pottery from dawn to dusk. I said yes to everything and learnt about the craft and myself. The inconvenience of falling in love and moving to Tamborine Mountain only slowed me down for a while. My beautiful boilermaker husband built a studio for me and is my biggest fan. I am extremely fortunate to have a dream job: working from home, combining teaching with making and living in a supportive artistic community.

What are the influences, mentors, idols, favourite artists that inspire you?

My students give me constant inspiration through their enthusiasm to play with new ideas, and they remind me to explore and stretch traditional boundaries. Being in this field for so many years has given me the opportunity to learn from and be influenced by many wonderful potters, too many to name. The diversity of ceramic practice in Australia I find hugely inspiring.

What would you change about your practice / the industry / the world if you could?

I am passionate about finding ways to educate our national audience to value ceramics as they do in other countries like France and Spain and elevate its status as a REAL occupation.

This may involve some radical changes to address how creators present themselves and price their products to include the hours they spend learning their craft, designing, making, firing, and marketing. It would also need to encompass the role of hobbyists and students.

Our peak bodies like National Association for Visual Artists and The Australian Ceramics Association have made significant inroads into this issue, but I personally think it needs a holistic united approach – think Big Think Tank. In my ideal world, crafts people would be appropriately paid for their work.

What does success in your creative career look like or mean to you?

Being confident with my brand PJ Pottery has been a turning point for me, getting respect for my ceramics makes me extremely happy. Seeing the joy on a customer’s face is my idea of success. And of course, being paid the true value of my work would be wonderful.

What is your advice for early career artists?

Buy a visual art diary, take detailed notes on your ideas, failures, and experiments. Do as many workshops and masterclasses as you can, these experiences expose you to the diversity of methods out there, some will resonate with you, some will not. Go home and experiment right away. Never stop experimenting. Find your own voice.

What is the question you get asked the most…and how do you answer it?

Question: How long does it take to make a teapot?

Answer: About 25 years (yes, it’s a joke given to students asking in their first lesson)

What would you most like to be remembered for, what legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to think my Steampunk inspired ceramics will be remembered and loved as unique and inspiring.

Personally, when I’m gone, I hope that my passion for ceramics and art has rubbed off on all who knew me and they continue to incorporate all forms of art in their everyday lives.

To see more of Nicci’s work visit her website: pjpottery.com.au

This article was first published in the CAQ Quarterly Bulletin March 2025.