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Lea Durie artist|maker|potter

@mud.dept

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Beautifully designed & crafted Australian ceramics. Grounded in the earth.
Classes and workshops
Ngunnawal and Ngambri country, ACT.
Also @lea_durie

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Super fun workshop with @mud.dept

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One last hand building workshop with the wonderful Lea. She's stepping back from teaching to focus on her own ceramics.....

We have LOVED having her teach here. Her approach to teaching is lovely to watch, everyone who has been taught by Lea has gone away happy & have made some incredible pieces. She is always open to peoples ideas to creating .There have been some amazing pieces made over the years.

If you have ever been to keen to some along to one of her workshops, now is the time.

So jump over to our website and book on in. You won't regret having some time to yourself & getting your hands dirty.

We would love to see you there.

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3 day Foraged Clay with Lea Durie @mud.dept @lea_durie
Thank you Lea for an incredibly inspiring, informative and engaging 3 days of learning. Our participants brought clays foraged from many different regions and landscapes, from creek beds, beaches, backyards, building sites and literally off the back of a truck about to dump its load! We crushed, we ground, we sieved, we squished and we created! Lea’s hands-on approach to teaching made this workshop so much fun and informative. It’s no wonder that her workshops sell out so quickly and that people will travel to attend! Lea described her practice, informed us about ethical harvesting of clays, types of clays and techniques for making clays more suitable for handbuilding and wheelthrowing. It really is difficult to capture the 3 days of learning in such a short reel. You had to be there! Thank you Lea for coming. Thanks to all the participants who attended from just down the road to all the way from Canberra, Sydney and Stradbroke Island! We appreciate you making the time to come and learn here @soul_clay_studios Thanks also to @marcus_testoni #marcusistherealmvp for keeping us caffeinated and energised with muffins!

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3 Day Foraged Clay - Lea Durie @mud.dept
@lea_durie
Such an inspiring 3 day workshop attended by artists from far and wide. Kieron and Lauri from North Stradbroke Island received a Regional Arts Development grant to attend this workshop. Listen to them speak about connection to country, the symbolism of clays and the deep sense of belonging with stories from The Dreaming and elders past. It was so inspiring to hear about their work, the thriving artist community in the island and how they will incorporate found clays into their practice. They’re participating in the @iam_straddie and @kieron_boona has his first solo exhibition coming up in mid August. We’re so grateful that @regionalartsaustralia provides opportunities for artists from regional areas to attend arts opportunities in other regional areas. Thank you Lauri and Kieron for sharing your story with us. ❤️

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Guest Workshop – Wall Sculpture with Lea Durie
This month we're thrilled to welcome the fabulous @lea_durie from @mud.dept to MUD Ceramics.
Join Lea for a full-day Wall Sculpture Workshop, where you'll explore clay as a sculptural, expressive medium. Through texture, mark-making and form, you'll create a unique wall-hung piece that's rich with movement and personality. Lea's workshops are relaxed, inspiring and perfect for anyone wanting to explore a more artistic approach to working with clay.

Places are limited, so be sure to book early.
https://wix.to/THQ8nsK

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We've been incredibly lucky to host some amazing guest ceramicists in the studio throughout May and June, sharing their skills, stories and unique approaches to clay with our community.

And we're thrilled to continue the journey in July with the wonderful @lea_durie from mud.dept

Make a Wall Sculpture with Lea Durie is a full-day workshop exploring clay as a sculptural and expressive medium. Lea's work is known for its rich textures, organic forms and intuitive mark-making, and she'll guide participants through the process of creating a unique wall-hung clay sculpture that is both personal and deeply connected to the material.

This is a workshop about slowing down, trusting your hands, embracing texture and allowing the clay to lead the way. Whether you're new to ceramics or an experienced maker, you'll leave with a one-of-a-kind sculptural piece and a fresh perspective on working with clay.

Saturday 25 July | Full Day Workshop | 9:30 - 4:00
Cost: $210 per person includes clay and firing
Spaces are limited and bookings are essential.
Link in bio or go to www.mudceramics.com.au

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Lea + Billie wanted to soften the look of their townhouse with some delicious timber, so together we brought this hardwood pergola to life in Canberra 🤎

We sourced some beautiful ironbark from North Eden Timber and constructed the pergola using 100mm posts and 140x45mm rafters. We also ran wire through the structure which will eventually encourage vines to weave their way through and soften everything even further over time.

Along the fence line we installed 90mm ironbark posts with narrower railing sections, ready for mesh and climbing plants to grow up and help disguise the colourbond fencing.

Lea designed the project and both Lea + Billie jumped in on the build at different stages, which made the whole thing feel incredibly collaborative from start to finish.

One of the perks was coffee breaks out of Lea’s handmade ceramic mugs - @mud.dept 🙏 ☕️

Somewhere during the project we also found out Will (Sal’s bro) officially got his builder’s licence! A BIG congrats to you Willso! @wedge_constructions

Big thanks to Lea + Billie for trusting us with such a beautiful project.

#Pergola #Ironbark #HardwoodPergola #Canberra #OutdoorLiving

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THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING | Open Day + Workshops | 2026 Craft + Design Canberra Artist-in-Residence | Jeffrey Sarmiento @sarmiento_glass, Julie Bartholomew @juliebartholomewceramics and Lea Durie⁠ @lea_durie @mud.dept.
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Thank you to everyone who joined us for the 2026 Craft + Design Canberra Artist-in-Residence Open Day + Workshops with Jeffrey Sarmiento, Julie Bartholomew and Lea Durie. Our 2026 Artists-in-Residence have now completed their Residency at the National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA) and their time in Namadgi staying at Ready-Cut Cottage. They will now spend the year reflecting and creating work to be exhibited at Craft + Design Canberra in April 2027.⁠
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If you enjoyed this workshop or feel inspired to try something new, explore our upcoming programs and workshops. You will find opportunities to learn from talented local makers and artists, discover new skills, and connect with our creative community.⁠
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See what's coming up via our website | Look for the PROGRAMS link in our bio.⁠
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Interested in being our 2027 Artist-in-Residence? Apply today via our website | Look for the OPPORTUNITIES link in our bio.⁠
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Images | Participants in the Characters in Clay Workshop Making with Lee Nelms | Photography by @ggoodwinmedia__
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#CraftandDesignCanberra #Craft #Canberra #Clay

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So lovely to have my dear friend, former @light_house_archi_science design team member, current @thorsrecycled and @canberraenvirocentre team member and *sweet* photo-taker — Bianca @circ.bk — at my place this morning. Bianca was taking snaps of the #TWO different batches of beautiful 60+ year old timber repurposed by Thor’s for the “big-little-colourful reno” of my nearly 20 year old city apartment from beige, long-term student rental into the glorious Shine Home.

#1. Tallowwood flooring from old Marsden High School in north Sydney, built 1959.
#2. Teak benchtops from the CSIRO Phytototron on Black Mountain here in Canberra, built in 1962, which was used to make the kitchen benchtop, shelves, desk and other tops in my smaller, smarter, sustainable home.

I moved to Canberra in 1993 to do postgrad study in plant molecular biology through ANU, based at CSIRO Plant Industry. I grew my Arabidopsis (the plant genetics equivalent of fruit fly) in the beautiful Phytotron, designed by the architect, Roy Grounds.

Why “the Shine Home”? You may have noticed my obsession with SCIENCE and ARCHITECTURE and my love of @theshinedome (if not, where have you been?). The Shine Dome, the incredible dome-shaped Australian Academy of Science building built in 1959, was also designed by the famous architect Sir Roy Grounds. It is 180m from my home and I consider it my secular temple🧘🏼‍♀️

This apartment reno brings together many of my favourite things. Architecture, science and science communication… *and* CRAFT, DESIGN and supporting the local creative community of designers and makers who enrich our lives in so many ways. There are works by MANY local artists, designers and makers within my Shine Home. No space to list them all. Instead check most of them out on the membership list at @craft_design_canberra.

Huge shout out though to Sonia van de Haar, the incredible @lymesmithy, for curating my love of colour into such an incredible sanctuary 🧡

Lastly… come and see for yourself when The Shine Home will be open for two tours on May 17 as part of my favourite national house day… @sustainablehouseday by @renew_sustainableliving (book via the SHD website). Shine on ☀️✨💛

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Our May workshop with Dr Cathy Franzi’s workshop is officially booked out — but we’ve opened a waitlist… just in case. You never know what magic might happen. ✨

Next up, we’ve got something pretty special.

Saturday 25 July | 9:30-4
Join the incredible Lea Durie from @mud.dept for a full-day workshop creating a hand-built wall sculpture. A full day of clay, creativity, and seriously beautiful making.

These workshops have a habit of disappearing fast…
so if you’ve been thinking about it, jump online and grab your spot.

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2026 ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM IS UNDERWAY | Meet Lea Durie @lea_durie, one of three artists along with Jeffrey Sarmiento @sarmiento_glass and Julie Bartholomew @juliebartholomewceramics, who have been selected as the Craft + Design Canberra 2026 Artists-in-Residence in partnership with @nfsaonline and @actparks.
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In this video, hear Lea discuss how she is finding the residency so far.
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Since 2006, we have collaborated with the ACT Parks and Conservation Service @actparks to offer residencies that explore the intersection of craft and nature. The residency provides artists with solitude and space for creative reflection, opportunities to engage in public workshops, and culminates in an exhibition at Craft + Design Canberra. ⁠
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In 2026 the research partner is the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA) @nfsaonline, offering a two-week research period focused on Australia’s rich audiovisual heritage. Artists are now spending time at the Acton building and in the archives in Mitchell, engaging with archived voices and stories that capture our collective memories, cultural shifts and evolving identity. ⁠
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Following the research period, artists will spend three weeks at Gudgenby Ready-Cut Cottage in Namadgi National Park. Since 2006, this residency has offered a profoundly transformative environment that fosters reflection, inquiry and the development of new work. ⁠
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The residency will be followed by an Open Day at Ready-Cut Cottage in in Namadgi National Park on Saturday 28 March 2026. You can book your place now via our website by heading to craftanddesigncanberra.org and heading to the PROGRAMS page.
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Images⁠ + Video
All Video by Craft + Design Canberra Staff
Photography by 5 Foot Photography

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