Mel Ford

I enjoy the science involved in crafting an artwork. Many of my processes frequently include harnessing such elements as heat, volume, time and sometimes gravity.

In physics there are facts. I find comfort in this.

Bio

Mel Ford graduated with a B.F.A. from the University of Canterbury in  1989.

With a creative practice focused on ceramics, glass and discarded waste she creates work across the genres of object making, installation and assemblage using a process-based approach. Working with objects at the interface between the natural and manufactured worlds, her creative practice often references time and the process of transition.

In 2024 she was one of 10 artists selected from across the country to be part of Object Maker’s Aotearoa Fellowship and continues to exhibit as a member of this collective.

A regular contributor to The Portage Ceramic Awards, she received The Medalta Artists Residency, a Merit Award, Honourable Mention and most recently The People’s Choice Award in association with this event.

Her work was included in Slip Cast - A Survey of Contemporary NZ Ceramics at the Dowse Museum and is held in private collections including The Quartz Museum of Studio Ceramics. Mel is also a member of The See Here - Artist Collective.