The Siliceous Award for Ceramic Excellence is one of Australia’s leading and most valuable ceramic art prizes, with a major acquisitive prize of $7,000. Ceramic Arts Queensland (CAQ) is proud to be offering the prize in 2023.
The Siliceous Award is a recognition and celebration of artistic excellence and innovation in ceramics, pottery, and ceramic sculpture, and it attracts entrants from around Australia. Siliceous is an acquisitive competition, with the winning piece becoming part of CAQ’s permanent collection, one of the largest and most comprehensive collections of Australian ceramics.
At this year’s competition, Australian Wood Firers United (AWFU) will also be presenting the inaugural Gwyn Hanssen Pigott Wood Fired Ceramics Award. This prize is to recognise excellence in wood fired ceramics and honour one of Australia’s most significant ceramic artists. This award, sponsored by the AWFU, is a $2,500 non-acquisitive prize.
“This, our seventh Siliceous, will be a very special event. We are taking the exhibition to the City of Ipswich, a region that has an extensive clay mining and pottery-making history. We are delighted to include the new award sponsored by AWFU for a piece of wood fired ceramics, not only for its historical relevance to the district, but also to Gwyn Hanssen Pigott, whose last residence and wood kiln was in this city”, stated Dianne Peach, President, Ceramic Arts Queensland.
The 2023 Award will be judged by Dr Rebecca Coates, curator, and former Director of Shepparton Art Museum.
Applications for the award are now open and entries close Friday 25 August 2023.
The winner will be announced at the Opening Night event at the Ipswich Community Gallery, 6pm, Friday 13 October 2023. The exhibition will continue until Sunday 5 November 2023. All work, other than the recipient of the Siliceous Award, will be for sale.
The entry form is available here.