Join JCG Curator Lia McKnight, with artists Stewart Scambler and Greg Crowe, for a discussion about their artworks in the current exhibition at John Curtin Gallery, Dirt Feeling, and hear about the artists’ recent creative practices.
About the artists
Stewart Scambler was born in Scotland in 1949. He arrived in Australia with his parents and two siblings in 1956, settling in Kwinana. His early education focused on science-based subjects, and he subsequently worked in an oil industry laboratory. During this time, he spent time in the army reserve and studied ceramics at Fremantle TAFE, eventually abandoning the laboratory for a full-time ceramics career in the early eighties. He initially established his studio in Kwinana and later in Serpentine where he built the first of his large wood fired kilns.
Stewart has taught as a sessional lecturer for TAFE, Edith Cowan and Curtin universities, delivered workshops across Western Australia and offshore, and since the early eighties has been a tutor at Fremantle Arts Centre. Stewart’s current studio is in Palmyra with his wood fired kiln on a property that he and his wife Trish own in York. Environmental concerns drive much of Stewart’s practice, and he and Trish grow the wood used in the kiln from seedlings. The clay he uses is blended local clays so that the work is very much of the place. Stewart has exhibited regularly within WA, interstate and overseas. His work is contained in private and institutional collections across Australia and overseas.
Greg Crowe is recognised for the form and texture of his pots and his creative use of local materials, clay, ash glazes. etc. All his work is high fired stoneware, either wood fired, salt glazed or fired in a gas kiln. His work is included in many collections including the Weisman Art Museum, Minnesota,WA Art Gallery and Queensland Art Gallery.
Greg has exhibited widely in Australia in both solo and group exhibitions since 1980. He has taught and run workshops in the US, Japan, Singapore , Canada and Europe. He has been a demonstrator at international ceramic events in Ireland, Denmark, USA, Canada France, and Sydney. In 2008 he undertook a 3 month McKnight Ceramic Artist Residency at the Northern Clay Centre, Minneapolis , Minnesota, USA and subsequently was in the McKnight exhibition in 2009 at NCC.
Greg established Hovea Pottery, Perth WA, in 1980 after graduating from WAIT ( Curtin University ) with qualifications in Architecture and Design (Ceramics). In 1985 he began a career Lecturing in Ceramics with TAFE, where he taught the Advanced Diploma in Ceramics and managed the Carine Tafe Ceramics Department. He has gone on to run classes at his Hovea Pottery Studio, the Fremantle Art Centre and the Mundaring and Midland Art Centres. Between 2016 – 2019 Greg lived in Sydney and during that time taught pottery with TAFE NSW ( at Gymea, Northern Beaches) and for the City of Sydney ( Pine Street Creative Arts) and privately. He had a solo exhibition at the Mansfield Gallery, Darlinghurst, Sydney in 2017.
Greg was president of the Ceramics Association of WA for 9 years and was on the Board of the Australian Ceramics Association for 3 years. He was a founding member and participates each year in the Mundaring Hills Open Studio. His work is available through galleries and craft centres in WA, SA, NSW and Victoria.
Event Details
Friday 21 November
2:00pm – 3:00pm
Free event, open to the public
Light refreshments will be provided.
Dirt Feeling Exhibition Open: 3 October – 7 December 2025
Images: Portrait of Stewart Scambler taken for the Stringer Retrospective, photo supplied by artist. Portrait of Greg Crowe, photo by Lara Herczeg.
