THE FULL STORY

I'm Maxine, a ceramic artist, storyteller and chronicler of a world that exists just beyond the spotlight.

​

My work begins with a series of rhyming narratives set around a faded and decrepit Victorian freakshow. While the spectacle itself sits at the centre of these stories, it is rarely the main focus of my attention. Rather, I am fascinated by the overlooked lives that exist in its shadows, the characters who live behind the scenes.  

​

The characters and imagery from these stories form the foundation of my ceramic work. Each piece is hand-built in stoneware and emerges from this imagined world, a place populated by peculiar creatures, faded grandeur and a cast of individuals who are often more interesting than the attractions they serve.

​

My inspiration comes from a fascination with the late Victorian era and the odd corners of its history. I am drawn to curiosities, worn objects, forgotten traditions and things that are a little grimy around the edges. I like age, decay, dark humour and the sense that every object has a history to tell. Character interests me more than beauty.

​

Working predominantly in monochrome, I use layered washes and distressed surfaces to create pieces that feel weathered, handled and lived with. They are intended to look as though they have emerged from the back rooms, attics and forgotten cupboards of this imagined world rather than from the bright lights of the show itself.

​

Above all, my practice is driven by curiosity and amusement. I write the stories that entertain me and build the objects I would most like to discover. The resulting work is an invitation to step behind the curtain and explore the strange lives unfolding where nobody thinks to look.