Matiu Bush | Ceramic Rebellion

Ceramic Rebellion is the contemporary ceramic practice of Dr Matiu Bush (PhD), an Aotearoa-born Māori artist (Ngāi Te Rangi) based in Naarm/Melbourne. Their practice operates at a point of tension between tradition and transgression. Drawing on familiar ceramic forms and classical silhouettes, the work resists expectation through unorthodox surface interventions and altered finishes.

Central to the practice is Cold Glazing, a room-temperature process in which fired ceramic forms are transformed through layered applications of pastes, gels, acrylics, and silicone. Working outside the kiln allows for precise, hands-on control of surface, enabling nuanced manipulation of sheen, depth, and movement.

The queering of recognised silhouettes underpins their work. This approach deliberately destabilises established ceramic forms, interrupting their historical authority and normative expectations while maintaining visual and material legibility. Familiar forms are reconfigured as sites of tension where tradition is sabotaged..

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