The Art Gallery of Western Australia has launched a monumental exhibition celebrating one of the nation's most significant ceramic artists. Pippin Drysdale: Infinite Terrain is a comprehensive retrospective spanning four decades of the Fremantle-based artist's prolific career.
A Lifelong Devotion to Colour and Form
At 82 years old, Pippin Drysdale is experiencing the profound process of seeing her life's work documented and curated. The artist expressed immense gratitude for the project led by AGWA's contemporary associate curator, Isobel Wise. "It's made me realise how lucky I am to have someone really document it and tax my mind on all the experiences," Drysdale said. She described the retrospective as a wonderful opportunity to bring order to a lifetime of creation.
The scale of the exhibition is staggering. It features 265 artworks comprising 442 individual ceramic pieces, making it one of the largest solo exhibitions AGWA has ever staged based on the number of objects. This vast collection vividly illustrates Drysdale's enduring and passionate exploration of colour.
Curating a World of Discovery
For curator Isobel Wise, assembling Infinite Terrain was an immersive journey. "Curating this exhibition has felt like stepping into Pippin's world — not just the work itself, but the stories, travels and relationships that shaped it," Wise explained. Many conceptual discussions happened in Drysdale's Fremantle home kitchen, surrounded by a rotating display of ceramics that serves as a living archive.
Wise notes that the exhibition reveals how Drysdale's artistic forms, colours, and ideas have evolved and interconnected over 40 years. "She has a complete devotion to ceramics, colour and the act of discovery," Wise stated, highlighting the artist's unique approach to the ceramic surface like a painter, using lines and colour fields to evoke landscapes and light.
From Perth to the World: An Artist's Journey
Born in Melbourne, Drysdale moved to South Perth as a young child before her family settled in Peppermint Grove. Her educational path was unconventional; she attended St Hilda's and other private schools before leaving formal education, driven by a singular talent for drawing.
Her career before ceramics was diverse, including running a business called Pip's Flowers and later cultivating medicinal herbs. Her artistic calling emerged when she discovered clay, leading her to study an Advanced Diploma in Ceramics at the WA School of Art and Design in the early 1980s. She further honed her craft at the Anderson Ranch Arts Center in the United States and earned a Bachelor of Arts (Fine Art) from Curtin University in 1986.
Drysdale's work is a poetic remapping of her global encounters. While deeply rooted in Australian landscapes, her visual language is shaped by extensive travels through Pakistan, Canada, Italy, Russia, India, and remote Australian regions. "Her works are often assembled into carefully arranged compositions of many parts that reflect the encounters that inspired them," Wise said, noting the three-dimensionality of her forms creates rhythm and a sense of unfolding terrain.
An Enduring Legacy and Unwavering Spirit
The exhibition's title, Infinite Terrain, reflects the boundless curiosity driving Drysdale's practice. It speaks to the endless interpretive possibilities within each piece and her readiness to embrace new environments and ideas. AGWA chose to mount this retrospective to honour Drysdale's status as a major figure in Australian contemporary ceramics, whose work has gained international recognition while being firmly developed on Australia's western edge.
Retirement is not a consideration for the artist, who was inducted as a State Living Treasure in 2015. "No, because what would I do?" Drysdale responded when asked. "I am a working girl, really, despite all my health issues. I would just hate not to achieve something each day." She continues to work with remarkable energy from her Fremantle studio.
Pippin Drysdale: Infinite Terrain is on display at the Art Gallery of Western Australia and will run until 6 April 2026. It offers audiences a unique chance to engage with the remarkable breadth of an artist whose career continues to evolve and inspire.
