Created in a studio shaken daily by the explosions of contemporary gold mining these works are an exploration land on which Steph Wallace resides.

Hollowed centuries of extraction and forever altered both its physical essence and cultural tapestry this collection seeks to hold up the light and examine the region's colonial legacies.

Looking below the surface, Wallace seeks to honour this fractured landscape, from its volcanic formation of quartz clay and gold scars to historical diggings, permanent reminders of its upheaval. These architectural forms with drawn line abstract surfaces reference hollowed earth-disrupted terrain in contemplation of impermanence and erosion decay.

Steph Wallace is a ceramic artist practicing on Wadawurrung country in Ballarat. Her practice combines traditional techniques with experimental approaches to create sculptural ceramic artworks.

Through her ceramic pieces the artist weaves narratives that reflect the complexities of cultural identity as an immigrant and the legacies of colonialism on the contemporary landscape. Wallace’s work has been exhibited widely including the Art Gallery of Ballarat, Craft Victoria, Manly Art Museum and Gallery and has been shortlisted for awards including The National Emerging Art Prize and the Klytie Pate Ceramics Award. She is an ambassador for the UNESCO Creative Cities network and has works in public art collections including Federation University, Art Gallery of Ballarat and The Centre for Rare Trades and Lost Arts.

Wallace holds a BA in Ceramics from Edinburgh College of Art and studied at Leeds Arts University in the UK. She has lectured at Federation University in the fields of design and innovation and ceramics. She has been a craft-correspondent for the ABC and her work has been featured in publications including The Age, Vogue Living, The Local Project and The Washington Post