Kamaka Pottery Summary

BRIEF HISTORY

Kamaka Pottery
Estelle and Bruce Martin

Valentine Road, R D 5, Hastings

1925   Bruce born Levin, New Zealand
1930   Estelle born Edendale, Southland, New Zealand
1950   Married, Hastings
1957   Started potting as a hobby
1963/4    Selected as exhibiting members of the Hawke’s Bay Art Gallery and Museum
1964/5    Selected as exhibiting members of the New Zealand Society of Potters
1965/80   Attended workshops conducted by: Gwyn Hansen (Piggot); Shoji Hamada; Ivan McMekan [McMeekin]; Alan Caiger-Smith; Harry Davis; Michael Cardew and Professors Y. Kondo and Zenji Miyashita.
1965   Formed partnership and became full-time potters.
1965/83   Made glazed domestic wares and floral containers fired in oil burning kilns.
1970   Moved to present lifestyle block in Hawke’s Bay County.
1976/7 Bruce elected President New Zealand Society of Potters.
1976   Estelle chosen as selector for 19th Annual Exhibition N.Z. Society of Potters, Christchurch.
1977   Formed Hawke’s Bay Association of Potters and Bruce elected 1st President.
1978   First visit to Japan, three months exploratory journey to many potters workshops.
First meeting with Mr Sanyo Fujii and captivated by anagama fired pottery.
1979/81   Constructed Kamaka Anagama from information given by Mr. Fujii.
1982   May – First firing of our anagama kiln.
June – Estelle and Bruce hold joint exhibition at the Gisborne Art Gallery.
July – Joint exhibition at Albany Village Pottery, Auckland.
September – Second trip to Japan to visit Mr. Fujii and learn more about firing anagama kilns
1982/3    Fujii San came to New Zealand and lived and worked with us for seven months. Given tuition in making traditional Tea Ceremony wares. He helped repair our kiln and showed us how to load and fire the Kamaka anagama.
1983   May – Second firing of Kamaka anagama.
1984   Joint exhibition with Fujii Sensei at the Mitsukoshi Art Gallery, Osaka, Japan.
1986   Exhibition with N.Z. Society of Potters at the Richmond Gallery, Canada.
Bruce received Merit Award from the Fletcher Brownbuilt Pottery Awards.
1987   Bruce received Merit Award from the Fletcher Brownbuilt Ceramic Awards.
1988   Estelle received Merit Award from Norsewear Art Awards.
1990   Had last firing of our large anagama kiln.
Estelle received Merit Award from Norsewear Art Awards.
Bruce received Principal Award from United/Suter Art Award.
Exhibition “The Final Firing” held at the Hawke’s Bay Exhibition Centre, Hastings.
1991   Participated in “Ten Hawke’s Bay Potters” exhibition in Hastings. Short video produced showing each of the ten potters.
Bruce had pot accepted in “Spirit of Clay” touring exhibition by Central Regional Arts Council.
1992   The “Ten Hawke’s Bay Potters” exhibition sent to Guilin, China, for Cultural Exchange with Hastings’ Sister City.
Exhibition of our work at the Potters Gallery, Wellington.
Built and fired very small anagama kiln.
1993   Bruce co-winner of the Glenfallock [Glenfalloch] Award at the Cleveland Art Awards, Dunedin.
Has second firing of the small anagama.
1994/5   Several more firings of the small anagama.

1995   Decided to stop potting and made a start on selling our pottery equipment. We have many special pots in our store-room from the nine firings of the large anagama for which we have to find homes. Will keep the kilns intact to show visitors and those interested. We will keep the gallery open for pottery sales.
2001   Estelle died 10.7.01.
2002   Bruce invited to the International Wood fire Festival at Goshogawara, Amori, Japan.
2004   Took weekend school in slab-building techniques for the Auckland Studio Potters.
2005   Retrospective exhibition “Kamaka – The Ceramics of Bruce and Estelle Martin” held at the Exhibition Centre, Hastings. Curated by Peter Shaw, Auckland.
2006   February: Retrospective exhibition shown at the Tairawhiti Museum, Gisborne.
September: Kamaka Retrospective shown at the Japanese Information and Cultural Centre (Japanese Embassy), Wellington opened by H.E. The Governor General, Anand Satyanand and the Japanese Ambassador, H.E. Masaki Saito.
October: Kamaka Exhibition shown at the Gus Fisher Gallery, Auckland. Opened by Peter Lange.
2007   March; Presentation of Plaque designating the house, kilns and garden a Category One Historic Place. Presentation made by Hon. Michael Cullen with about 50 guests.
April: Private visit by H.E Anand Satyanand and his wife, Susan to Kamaka Pottery.
May: Estelle and I were made Life Members of the N.Z. Society of Potters.
2008   Retrospective Exhibition held at the Brett McDowell Gallery, Dunedin.
Received invitation to attend International Ceramic Festival in Zibo, China.
Heritage Covenant placed on buildings, kilns and grounds of 64 Valentine Road, Hastings.
2010   Took trip to Canada, America, United Kingdom and Japan visiting potters and friends in each country.
1012 [2012]   Exhibition of “Pots from the Kamaka Collection” at the Black Barn Gallery, Havelock North.

SUMMARY OF EXHIBITION SUCCESSES

FLETCHER BROWNBUILT AND FLETCHER CHALLENGE CERAMIC AWARDS ACCEPTANCES

Estelle    Bruce
1986   1986 = Merit Award
1987   1987 = Merit Award
1988   1988
1991   1991
1992   1993
1995
1996   1996
1997

NORSEWEAR ART AWARDS

Estelle 1988 = Merit Award
1990 = Merit Award

1990 United/Suter Gallery Awards

Bruce Principal Award of $5000

1993 Cleveland Ceramic Award

Bruce   Co-Winner Glenfalloch Award

COLLECTIONS

Hawke’s Bay Cultural Trust
Otago Museum, Dunedin
Waikato Museum, Hamilton
Robt. McDougal Art Gallery, Christchurch
Auckland Institute and Museum
Palmerston North Art Gallery
New Zealand Department of Foreign Affairs
Hastings City Council
Rotorua City Council
Private collections throughout New Zealand and in Japan, U.S.A., Canada, Great Britain, Germany, Singapore and China.
Also pieces have been purchased by the Hastings City Council to give as gifts to Governors General Porrit [Porritt] and Blundell on the occasions of their official visits.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

New Zealand Potters Magazine
1974 Vol. 16/1   P 13-15
1984 Vol. 26/2   P 23-24
1993 Vol. 35/1   P 12-13

1983   “The Potters Manual”
Kenneth Clark, Pub. Macdonald and Co., London P 19, 65, 187.

1994   “The Crane and the Kotuku”
Dianne & Peter Beatson. Pub. Manawatu Art Gallery. P. 36-37, 39, 125 & Plate 8.

1995   Ceramics Monthly, Vol.43, No.4, April 1995
P32-35.

“Contemporary Ceramic Art in Australia and New Zealand.”
Janet Mansfield. Pub. Craftsman House.
P96, 98, 99.

2000   “Wood Fired Ceramics”
Coll Minogue & Robt. Sanderson. Pub. G + B Arts International.
P118-119.

2000   The Log Book, Issue 4, November 2000
P15-19

2003   The Log Book, Issue 13, 2003
P21-22

2001   “Wood Firing, Journeys and Techniques”
Collection of articles from Ceramics Monthly.
P98-101

2005   “Kamaka, Then [The] Ceramics of Bruce and Estelle Martin”
Peter Shaw. Pub. Hawke’s Bay Cultural Trust.

“New Zealand Listener” October 22-28 2005

Douglas Lloyd Jenkins. P50-51

2006   “40 Legends of New Zealand Design”
Douglas Lloyd Jenkins. Pub. Random House, New Zealand.
P97-100

2009   “Cone Ten Down”
Studio Pottery of New Zealand
Moyra Elliott and Damian Skinner