Malcolm Greenwood is considered to be one of Australia's leading potters. Named as one of Australia's hottest and sought after design talents by the Sydney Morning Herald (Oct 4, 2000), his work has been featured and used in most of Australia's leading design and style magazines, food magazines and in the books of several of Australia's leading chefs. His work is sold by many of Sydney's most innovative retailers.

His work is sublimely simple, showcasing classic shapes and innovative glazes. Malcolm is a real perfectionist. Every piece is handmade and fired at high temperatures to achieve its distinctive glaze. All his pieces are highly sought-after by Sydney's leading stylists and collectors.


Background

Malcolm Greenwood began working with clay while studying for a degree in Business Administration at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, U.S.A., in 1976. After moving to Boston, he began studying various Japanese pottery techniques with visiting Japanese potter, Makoto Yabe, including throwing, 'neriage', glaze formulation and firing techniques.

While living in Nigeria (1978 to 1979) Malcolm built a wood-fired kiln, producing pots using local materials. In addition he travelled throughout much of West Africa, studying the traditional pottery techniques and various collections of antique and contemporary pottery. The form and texture of many of the African pots has had an influence on the development of his work.

On returning to the U.S.A. in 1979, he again worked with Makoto Yabe. During this period Yabe's most significant influence on his professional development as a potter, was with regards to the philosophy of making and firing pots.

Malcolm returned to Australia in 1980, working in clay on a part time basis until 1989, when he left the corporate world finally to begin a career as a full-time as a potter. He now produces a range of porcelain tableware as well as a variety of one-off exhibition pieces.

As a result of Malcolm's travels and various experiences, his work represents influences from both East and West. His objective always is to produce pieces which are simple but strong in shape, decoration and colour as well as having some 'freedom'. Much of his work is functional. The tableware has been designed to be aesthetically pleasing, a pleasure to use and it presents food well.

Malcolm's work is held in private collections in Australia, U.S.A., Japan, Korea, Canada, Singapore and Thailand. A range of his black and celadon vases and fluted bowls were recently featured in an exhibition in Japan, receiving very favourable reviews.

At Work

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Malcolm Greenwood 		Click on the image for a full-sized version
Sealing the Kiln 		Click on the image for a full-sized version
Packed Kiln
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Stacked Plates 		Click on the image for a full-sized version
Throwing
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Exhibitions

  • Radcliffe College, Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A., November 1978.
  • Clay Art Centre, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A., December 1979.
  • Willandra Art Centre, Ryde, N.S.W., Australia, April 1990.
  • Sydney International Gift Trade Fair, Darling Harbour, N.S.W., Australia, September 1990.
  • Lakeside International Hotel, Canberra, A.C.T., Australia, September 1990.
  • Australian Craft Show, Canberra, A.C.T., Australia, November 1990.
  • Australian Craft Show, Sydney N.S.W., Australia, November 1990.
  • Sydney International Gift Trade Fair, Darling Harbour, N.S.W., Australia, February 1991.
  • Glenaeon Craft Expo, Middle Cove, N.S.W., Australia, May, 1991.
  • Craft Expo and New Art Forms, Darling Harbour, N.S.W., Australia, September 1991.
  • Australian Craft Show, Sydney N.S.W., Australia, November 1991.
  • Bay Gallery of Fine Art, Nedlands, W.A., Australia, January 1992.
  • Glenaeon Craft Expo, Middle Cove, N.S.W., Australia, May, 1992.
  • The Tramshed Community Arts Centre, 'Artists Respond to the Outback', Narrabeen, N.S.W., Australia, July 1992.
  • Australian Craft Show, Sydney N.S.W., Australia, November 1992.
  • Buyers Market of American Craft, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A., June 1993.
  • WBAI Crafts Fair, New York, New York, USA, December 1993.
  • New York International Gift Fair, New York, New York, USA, January 1994.
  • Buyers Market of American Craft, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., February 1994
  • Ferrin Gallery, 'Setting a Table' - a group show of handmade dinnerware, Northampton, Massachusetts, U.S.A., March 1994
  • Australian Craft Show, Sydney N.S.W., Australia, November 1994.
  • Gallery Gibraltar, 'Art for Heart', Bowral, N.S.W., Australia, June 1995.
  • Australian Craft Show, Sydney N.S.W., Australia, November 1995.
  • Solo show, Japanese Garden, Cowra N.S.W., Australia, July 1996.
  • Australian Craft Show, Sydney N.S.W., Australia, November 1996.
  • Flair 1997 Munich, Germany, November 1997.
  • 'Artistic Australia Japan', Ichiban-kan Gallery, Fukuoka, Japan, February 2000.
  • ClayFeast, Gulgong, N.S.W., Australia, May 2001.
  • Mercedes Australian Fashion Week, Sydney, N.S.W., Australia, May 2001.
  • Mura Clay Gallery, Sydney, N.S.W., Australia, June 2001.
  • Munich Craft Fair, Munich, Germany, March 2002.
  • Imperial Porcelain, Group Show, Skepsi on Swanston, Carlton, Victoria, Australia, November, 2003.
  • Solo show, Weswal Gallery, Tamworth, N.S.W., Australia, March 2004
  • Japanese Art and Australian Ceramics, Freeland Gallery, Paddington, N.S.W., July 2006
  • Teabowls: A survey Exhibition of Australian Contemporary Ceramics, Sabbia Gallery, Sydney, N.S.W., August 2006
  • Australian Ceramics: Responding to the Landscape, Freeland Gallery, Paddington, N.S.W., August 2006
  • Thursday Plantation East Coast Sculpture Show, Ballina, N.S.W., September 2006