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fiona mcdonald | ichimu po box 603, torquay, australia wadawarrung country fiona@ichimu.com.au ichimu.com.au @ichimu_design

fiona is a multi-disciplinary artist with a background and body of work in design and surface design whose practice is based on the victorian west coast of torquay, wadawurrung country, australia. her works include ceramics, weaving, illustration and printing

her favoured clays are porcelain – a beautiful clay in it’s strength and it’s translucence and black stoneware – gorgeous in it’s depth. each ichimu piece is hand formed using a variety of materials, tools and found objects and the surface treatment and colour sensibility of each collection of works references her background in design. fiona has an inherent love of form and texture which underlies her practice

what she aims to capture in her ceramics, in all of her art practice, is a moment or a compilation of moments that culminate in a single piece. by creating a thing of delicate beauty she is attempting to make people pause and be in the moment, to be engaged in what they are experiencing… to this end she treasures the link between what she sees, her imagination and her hands…

experience

fiona’s professional and personal experience encompasses briefs and commissions undertaken as a solo artist to those that are collaborations between people of varying skills and disciplines. the outcome of each of these relies on the ability to communicate ideas and realise them to a satifying end for all involved

fiona’s formal training is in graphic design which is a wonderful backdrop to her skills across multiple disciplines including ceramics. with every single thing that she learns about clay she realises there is so much more. it is through not knowing the rules that she is able to pursue ideas in a lateral space. she shares the skills she develops with other artists and in workshops offered to the public 

2013 – present 

ichimu | ceramic artist, weaver, illustrator, studio hand and teacher
torquay australia
hand formed porcelain pieces – illustrated, glazed, stained and nude, natural fibre art, illustration, photography

collections

ceramics victoria – permanent collection

memberships

australian ceramics
craft victoria
regional arts victoria
creative women’s
circle

online
exhibitions, grants, awards

2024 – national emerging art prize – finalist (exhibition)
2024 – fisher’s ghost ceramic award – finalist (exhibition)
2024 – north queensland ceramic award – finalist (exhibition)
2024 – yarra street window gallery – selected artist (exhibition)
2024 – deakin small sculpture award – finalist (exhibition)
2024 – hoop gallery – the tangibility of time & memory (exhibition)
2024 – brunswick street gallery – small works art prize (exhibition)
2023 – forty five downstairs – selected for emerging artist award (exhibition)
2023 – craft contemporary collaborative & interactive exhibition ‘time through touch’
2023 – RAV regional arts fund quick response grant for individuals
2023 – DEVELOP artist and creatives grant, surf coast shire
2019 – clunes ceramic aquisitive award – exhibition finalist
2019 – STAGING CLAY – fired earth, anglesea
2018 – finders keepers
2017 – boom gallery – states of being – solo exhibition, ceramics & illustration
2017 – craft cubed exhibition – craft victoria
2015 – OBJECT: SPOON beaver galleries canberra (coinciding with the australian ceramics trienale)
2015 – design bazaar – first in style participant
2015 – frankston arts exhibition (solo exhibition in council arts space)
2014 – ceramics victoria – still firing at 45 (pieces aquired for permanent collection)
2013 – etsy pop up group exhibition sydney

various additional exhibitions including with the city of whitehorse, the city of frankston, surf coast shire arts trail and many smaller, private exhibition spaces and pop ups. she has also participated in finders keepers, the big design market, design bazaar (first in style), the night jar and cowrie markets…

media

the design files
home beautiful
financial review
geelong advertiser – gt magazine
the creative women’s circle
lloyd told george
surf coast times