Ebony Russell, the winner of the Brookfield Properties Craft Award 2025, presents a striking body of work that challenges conventional ceramic traditions.
Russell is an Australian artist renowned for her innovative sculptural ceramics. Using an unconventional method, she meticulously pipes porcelain in intricate layers, constructing gravity-defying forms. This technique subverts traditional decorative vessel-making, transforming ornamentation into structure and erasing the boundaries between the two. By embracing excess and indulgence, Russell interrogates the historical marginalisation of decorative arts, positioning decoration as a site of power and agency rather than frivolity.
Russell is the first international artist to receive The Brookfield Properties Craft Award. Represented by Cynthia Corbett Gallery, her radical reinterpretation of Wedgwood porcelain and its neoclassical traditions was a key factor in her selection.
“Where Wedgwood sought perfection in his imitation of antiquity, Russell leans into the imperfect and invites us to question what we think we know about the potential of clay.” - Kate Turner, Curator V&A Wedgwood Collection
Brookfield Properties Craft Award 2025
Now in its sixth year, the Brookfield Properties Craft Award is the UK’s leading contemporary craft prize, created in partnership with Crafts Council. Recognising expert craftsmanship and significant contributions to contemporary craft, the award honours artists who push the boundaries of material and tradition.
Russell was selected from a shortlist of exceptional artists, including wood artist Alan Meredith (Cavaliero Finn), glass artist Chris Day (Vessel Gallery), wood and paper artist Isobel Napier (Flow Gallery), and ceramic artist Valéria Nascimento (jaggedart). These artists’ works are featured in the companion exhibition at 30 Fenchurch.