Potter, based in Wellington, NZ.
Wellington ceramist Jenny Shearer has been potting since the early 1970s, is currently (2008) teaching at a tertiary level, and has been the Artist in Residence 2004-8 at the Wellington Potters Centre. She is also the incumbent President of the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts. Ms Shearer is this year’s Guest Selector and Exhibitor for Canterbury Potters.

Shearer’s list of awards is lengthy, including the Premier Award (domestic ware) at the National Exhibition of the New Zealand Society of Potters, 2005. Her ceramics are held in the collections of The Dowse Art Museum, Government House, Napier Art Gallery, Christchurch Art Gallery, Southland Art Museum and the Auckland Society of Potters Collection at Auckland Museum.

She describes her work as having been primarily focussed on functional vessels, starting originally with a wide range of crocks and vases. Following a shift in medium to porcelain she concentrated on “smaller items such as one-off tea-sets, cups and bowls. These [are fired] in a gas kiln under reduction to 1300C. The glazes are pale green and blue celadons and clear white – of oriental origin. The Southern Ice translucent clay [she uses] comes from Australia.”