THE QUIET PULL OF CLAY

Photos Michelle Holt Photo

Monique Wheat did not set out to become a ceramic artist. Clay found her.

What began as a handbuilding class with local ceramic artist Claire Nicholls, taken as part of recovery after an injury, quietly redirected Monique’s life. She kept returning, drawn to the steady rhythm of clay and the way it demands the sculptor slow down and pay attention. Clay teaches patience. It resists rushing and rewards presence.

Before long, she was creating from her parents’ garage bench and a friend’s dining table. In late 2025, she said yes to an open working studio within Black Shed Art Space in Waipu. Creating within a working gallery space feels fitting. Visitors see the process as well as the finished pieces, and those conversations become part of the work.

Monique came from a science career, completing a Master of Science and spending years immersed in data and reports. Ceramics hold both heart and logic. There is planning and problem-solving, but also intuition. Glaze can appear soft and unassuming when first applied, then emerge from the kiln deep and luminous. Black clay shifts colour in subtle ways. She is drawn to that balance of structure and surprise.

Her ceramic moths have become signature pieces. They often prompt a small intake of breath, an unexpected smile. Moths are not always considered beautiful. They are quiet, sometimes polarising, yet full of delicate detail. Fine antennae move gently in the breeze, adding a note of whimsy. For some, they bring joy. For others, remembrance. That layered meaning matters to Monique.

Alongside the moths, she creates air planters, stitched botanical tiles and curio boxes. Nature threads through all of it. Still early in her journey, Monique is undertaking further study this year, feeling the pull to keep developing and exploring new directions.

Waipu, and the community around the Black Shed, continue to shape that evolving practice, and she is curious to see where the clay leads next.

www.instagram.com/moniquewheatceramics

Black Shed Art Space, 7 Cove Rd, Waipu