Sandra Black is renowned for her delicate pierced and carved porcelain forms, removed from obvious functional activity but eloquently displaying the qualities of the medium.  Inspired by nature, Sandra combines abstract and organic shapes in fluid patterns to decorate her bowls and vessels.  Evocative of lace, each porcelain form features a cut-out design, whereby negative space and areas of high relief create the decoration.  Her carvings transform the porcelain into a translucent, organically patterned body, diffusing the form with light and  creating shadows that are real and ephemeral.  Instead of glazes, Sandra relies on the polished surfaces of the clay to show the carving and piercing to their best advantage.  A recent residency in Canada allowed her the time to explore new directions in her work.  The beauty of the Canadian spring and the details within the immensity of the landscape gave Sandra new inspiration.

Sandra Black lives and works in Fremantle, WA, and studied at the WA Institute of Technology (now Curtin University).  She has been exhibiting in solo and invitational shows since 1976 across Australia, as well as overseas including USA, Germany, Canada, New Zealand, Netherlands, Switzerland and Japan.  Sandra has taught at TAFEs, universities and ceramic groups across Australia, and has presented conference lectures and workshops in New Zealand, Canada, the UK and USA.  In 2008, Sandra travelled to Canada, working as Artist in Residence at Red Deer College, Alberta and the University of Manitoba Ceramics Department.  Her work is widely represented in regional, state and national collections including the National Gallery of Australia, Parliament House and the Art Gallery of Western Australia as well as in overseas institutions including the Gifhu Prefecture Ceramic Museum, Japan and the Auckland Gallery and Museum, New Zealand.