My solo exhibition "Nothing New" opens in Fitzroy, Feb 29-March 5!



The Maker

Snakebird Designs is the creative endeavour of myself, Sarah Muir-Smith. I am incredibly grateful to live, work and create on and with the unceded land of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people. 

The maker behind Snakebird Designs, Sarah Muir-Smith, is smiling in her Coburg studio. She is wearing tan overalls and sitting amongst various pottery tools and equipment, smiling.

ABOUT THE MAKER

I remember as a kid discovering soft patches of clay down by the church in the schoolyard, marvelling at it's rich colour and how magically it responded to touch- little pockets of gold amongst the pebbles and dirt. Attending my first  handbuilding workshop at Dot and Co in 2017, it all came flooding back- I was hooked on clay. 

I went on to spend one day a week as  studio assistant for Dot and Co for a few months, where I was shown the basics of handbuilding and wheel throwing techniques, and how a functional studio operates. 

Despite several set backs (read: a chronic wrist injury and later, surgery) I managed to set up a studio in the shed of my sharehouse and the rest is history! 

When not in lockdown, I study one day a week at the School of Clay and Art in Brunswick, attending the studio program. This has been instrumental in contextualising my practice using clay within the rich global history of ceramics and art, as well as honing my technical skills and developing my artistic voice.

A huge thanks goes to those who have generously passed on their learnings to others (such as my teachers) or those who have shared their glaze recipes etc. to be tinkered with. The collaborative environment at SoCA is endlessly inspiring, and I have it to thank for my recent understanding of the materials used to create work for Snakebird Designs.

It's humbling to be able to pass on my learnings to others who are at the start of their own journey with this magical material. When not in lockdown, I teach Introduction to Ceramics workshops at Handmaker's Factory in West Footscray, as well as a weekly wheel class.