Once I loved the torn ocean’s roar

Gerry Wedd

21 November - 7 February 2027
Margaret Scott Gallery

For the past three decades Gerry Wedd’s deep connection to the beach, swimming and surfing has coloured the surface of his ceramics. Drawing from the ancient history of red and black Greek amphorae, Wedd paints contemporary narratives across his vases, urns, bowls, platters and plates, telling familiar stories of the coast and celebrating infamous characters from surfing’s rich history.

In Once I loved the torn ocean’s roar, Wedd again leans into his connection with the beach, the ocean, and surf culture. Employing giant waves and stormy seas as backdrops for storytelling.

Wedd’s imagery casts a wide net of references to personal memories, popular culture and current events. His storytelling’s artistic practice has been centered around domestic space and the history and materiality of ceramics for forty years. He was the core artist producing drawing and graphics for Mambo 1986 – 2006, and has exhibited extensively across Australia, as well as internationally.

 

 

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Image: Gerry Wedd, Beacon (detail), 2025, porcelain dish, cobalt underglaze. Courtesy of the artist