Dakota Yewen Country: Australia Artist Discipline: Pottery/ Ceramics, Photography/ Film Instagram: @dakotayewen Website: dakotayewen.com

Dakota Yewen is an Australian artist whose practice spans pottery, ceramics, photography, and film, with a deep appreciation for the textures and imperfections found in nature. Over the last decade, her ceramic work has evolved around domestic wares that balance functionality with unique, hand-altered forms, often featuring tattered edges and uneven sides. She typically works with earthy, textural clays, natural glazes, and electric kiln firings, while her film photography explores various vintage film stocks through 35mm and 120mm cameras. Dakota's creative process embraces a slow, intentional approach that extends to sculpture, printmaking, woodturning, and carving, reflecting her fascination with the interconnectedness of self, place, and objects inspired by the natural world’s beauty and irregularities.

Having recently completed an immersive thru-hike along New Zealand's Te Araroa trail, Dakota arrives at the Driving Creek residency eager to channel the freedom and inspiration she found in nature into her work. She hopes to experiment with new ceramic techniques, including wood firing and reduction atmospheres, while also exploring creative projects such as a children's book and handmade frames for her film photography. This opportunity represents a long-held dream and a chance to reignite her passion through hands-on work in a uniquely magical environment, fostering new friendships and deepening her connection to place and craft during her stay at Kereru Cottage.

Laura Pascoe AUS Country: Australia Artist Discipline: Pottery/ Ceramics, Sculpture/ Carving, Painting Instagram: @la.pascoe Website: laurapascoe.au

Laura Pascoe is a Meanjin (Brisbane, Australia)-based artist whose diverse practice spans pottery, ceramics, sculpture, carving, and painting. With a background in architecture, her work thoughtfully explores the relationship between form, texture, and decoration, often drawing inspiration from nature. Laura’s ceramics are primarily wheel-thrown and functional, yet she embraces hand-building and sculptural techniques, carving delicate marks into clay to create a dynamic interplay between organic and geometric elements. She is deeply fascinated by the alchemy of glazing, crafting her own glazes and experimenting with their interactions. Wood firing is a cherished practice for Laura, combining a communal spirit with an endlessly captivating process that enriches her work with unique textures and finishes.

At Driving Creek, Laura seeks to immerse herself in the natural environment and local materials, allowing their qualities to guide and reshape her creative process. Visiting New Zealand for the first time, she is eager to see how the distinct landscape and resources influence her work and help her develop a new body of pieces that respond to her discoveries. With a strong commitment to collaboration and authenticity, her residency offers an opportunity to deepen her artistic exploration and connect with a vibrant creative community while working from the small carriage accommodation provided.

Christiane Shortal Country: NZ Artist Discipline: Painting, Drawing/ Illustration Instagram: —

Christiane Shortal is a New Zealand-based artist whose multidisciplinary approach weaves together painting, drawing, and illustration to explore landscapes as living, spiritually charged organisms. Her work resonates with the Romantic tradition, reflecting nature’s dual role as nurturing and wrathful, while challenging Western capitalist dominion over the land. Employing layers of gouache over loose red pencil sketches, she develops compositions that glow with an ethereal light reminiscent of Catholic Iconography. Rejecting conventional perspective, Christiane favors compositional harmony and pattern, drawing inspiration from folk iconography and 'naive' artists like Henry Darger, as well as contemporary painters Kushana Bush and Mu Pan. Her practice is deeply anthropological, treating her pieces as unearthed archaeological findings that reveal contemporary human absurdities, hierarchies, and longings through imagined histories.

At Driving Creek, Christiane aims to delve into the chaotic and dramatic experiences of early settler voyages to New Zealand, investigating daily life on board with a focus on the sociological impacts of colonization, identity, and family relationships. Inspired by her own Irish family history and the complexities of migration and colonization, she seeks to address the moral contradictions of complicity within oppressive systems. Using passenger lists and diaries as primary research material, Christiane plans to develop a series of large paintings that capture the emotional and relational dynamics among voyagers, infusing these ordinary stories with mythic qualities through chaos, humor, and fantasy. Her residency goal is to begin sketching and planning this ambitious new body of work, drawing on influences like Bruegel and Bosch to reflect the layered narratives of history and its ongoing influence on the present.

Kate Hobbs Country: New Zealand Artist Discipline: Pottery/ Ceramics Instagram: @katehobbsceramics Website: katehobbsceramics.com

Kate Hobbs is a New Zealand-based potter whose work primarily revolves around creating tableware through a blend of handbuilding and wheel-throwing techniques. She embraces a variety of firing methods, including electric, gas, raku, and wood kilns, which reflect her love for experimenting with different textures and finishes. Recently relocated to Dunedin, Kate finds inspiration in the local architecture, hinting at an evolving series that explores these influences. Her work is grounded in practicality and community, often crafted to fulfill needs within her own home or those of her loved ones, emphasizing the intimate connection between pottery and shared moments around the table.

Kate's motivation for her residency at Driving Creek is deeply personal and playful; she aims to create a large marble run for her nephews, drawing inspiration from the legacy of Brickell. Alongside this, she plans to fire bisque ware tableware, experimenting with Driving Creek glazes as well as continuing her exploration of rock and mudstone glazes she has been developing over the past year. Welcomed by the supportive environment of the residency and accompanied by her partner, Kate looks forward to immersing herself in the creative community and expanding her practice in a space that nurtures connection and innovation.

Rosa Allison Country: NZ Artist Discipline: Painting, Drawing/ Illustration Instagram: @rosa_allison_

Rosa Allison is a painter and illustrator whose work begins with attentive observation of natural forms, often focusing on elements like serrated leaves. She starts with delicate watercolor silhouettes that simplify these organic shapes before transitioning into oil painting, where spontaneity plays a vital role. Her process involves adding and removing elements until the composition feels resolved, reflecting her interest in creating a unique visual language. Influenced by early abstract artists such as Hilma af Klint and Sonia Delaunay, Rosa enjoys experimenting with unexpected color combinations, bringing a vibrant and dynamic energy to her paintings.

Living in Pōneke and balancing her life as both a painter and gardener, Rosa draws inspiration from wild, vine-filled gardens reminiscent of her grandmother's rambling roses. She aims to portray the tension between the untamed wilderness and the gardener's careful tending, a metaphor that resonates deeply in her creative practice. At Driving Creek, Rosa hopes to foster a sense of community by working alongside other artists, exchanging knowledge and inspiration. Ultimately, she aspires to establish a shared studio space in Pōneke, and she sees her residency as a valuable step toward realizing this dream, inspired by conversations with former residents and the residency's collaborative environment.

Vanessa Ceelen Country: New Zealand Artist Discipline: Pottery/ Ceramics Instagram: @v.joy.c

Vanessa Ceelen is a ceramic artist based in New Zealand who creates functional stoneware pieces through a deeply experimental approach. Her practice involves recycling and combining various clays and glaze materials, using techniques such as nerikomi clay layering and diverse firing methods like raku, pit firings, saggar, and obvara. Vanessa embraces the unpredictability of atmospheric firings, allowing random and unplanned outcomes to shape each unique piece. Despite this experimental nature, her work remains grounded in functionality and thoughtful form, reflecting a balance between creative exploration and practical use.

Since beginning her ceramic journey in 2019, Vanessa has found grounding and expression through working with her hands, driven by curiosity and a love of discovery. At Driving Creek, she aims to push the boundaries of her practice by experimenting with locally sourced clays and ashes from across Auckland and Fiordland, testing their properties and incorporating them into her glazes and clay bodies. With a strong interest in wood firing, she plans to explore how different firing techniques influence texture, colour, and durability, all while maintaining the functionality of her vessels. Vanessa’s residency offers a valuable opportunity to deepen her material understanding and create work that reflects the environment and stories of place.

Heather Tobe Country: Canada Artist Discipline: Pottery/ Ceramics Instagram: @bowlmeoverpottery

Heather Tobe is a Canadian potter whose work embraces experimentation with clay and glaze interactions, drawing inspiration from the natural environment surrounding her. Her practice spans throwing functional ware, primarily bowls, while exploring texture, altered forms, and vertical pieces. Heather’s ceramic journey is enriched by her academic studies at North Island College and mentorship with a Japanese potter, as well as diverse firing experiences including raku, soda, gas, pit, and anagama kilns. Her work reflects a deep curiosity about the relationship between clay bodies and glazes, and she integrates coil and slab techniques into her thrown forms to create unique textures and shapes.

Heather’s approach to pottery is deeply intertwined with her background in intercultural communication and her passion for community and collaboration. At Driving Creek, she hoped to immerse herself in the rich local culture and environment, using these as a springboard for playful experimentation and artistic growth. Embracing the opportunity to share space and ideas with international and local artists, Heather aimed to expand her practice by exploring new forms, textures, and firing techniques, while building connections and reflecting on cultural diversity through her work. Her residency provided the dedicated studio time and community interaction she sought to deepen her ceramic exploration and bring fresh perspectives back to her practice in Canada.