Pressure is everywhere. It’s in the weight of history, in the social expectations that shape our choices, in the geological forces that formed the very clay we use to create. It’s physical, psychological, and deeply embedded in the human experience. For Shaun Hayes, pressure isn’t just an idea—it’s both the subject and the process of his work. His ceramics take things we usually throw away and turn them into something solid, something permanent. And in doing so, he makes us look twice at what we value and what we leave behind.

At the heart of this exhibition is a series of compressed ceramic cubes, each one cast from a discarded plastic object—bottles, takeaway containers, the kind of stuff we barely register before tossing. But under pressure, these objects become something else. No longer flimsy, no longer temporary, they take on weight and significance. By stacking these cubes like pedestals, Hayes plays with ideas of value and worth, asking why we see some things as important and others as disposable. And the irony? The plastic we discard so easily actually lasts forever in the environment.

Hayes’ work is full of nostalgia and humour. These aren’t just abstract sculptures; they hold echoes of everyday life. A takeaway container isn’t just a bit of rubbish—it’s a memory of a late-night meal, a casual moment, a habit we don’t think much about. His work captures these small moments and makes them permanent, inviting us to reflect on what lingers, what fades, and what we choose to hold onto.

Making ceramics is all about pressure. You press and mould the clay, fire it in intense heat, and watch as cracks and distortions appear. In Hayes’ work, these aren’t mistakes—they’re part of the story. They show how pressure shapes things, how resilience and fragility coexist. Just like in life, sometimes things warp and shift under strain, but that doesn’t make them any less valuable. If anything, it makes them more interesting.

Hayes’ journey as an artist has taken him from the Australian National University School of Art to the historic ceramic studios of Jingdezhen, China—the ‘Porcelain Capital’ of the world. His practice is deeply informed by this history, but it’s never weighed down by it. Instead, his work finds a playful balance between tradition and irreverence. He’s won major awards, exhibited internationally, and been recognised for his innovative approach to ceramics. But at its core, his work is about something simple: paying attention. To the things we use, the things we throw away, and the pressures—big and small—that shape us all.

In a world obsessed with the new, Hayes’ work reminds us to look again at what’s already here. To find meaning in the overlooked. To see beauty in the discarded. And maybe, to rethink what we leave behind.

Shaun Hayes is an Australian ceramic artist whose work explores the intersection of memory, material, and environmental consciousness. Through his innovative approach to ceramics, Hayes transforms discarded plastic objects into enduring sculptural pieces, challenging perceptions of value and permanence. His work often carries a sense of nostalgia and humour, prompting reflection on the everyday items we overlook and discard.

Hayes completed a Bachelor of Arts (Visual) with Honours in Ceramics at the Australian National University School of Art in 2013. His career has since taken him to the historic ceramic studios of Jingdezhen, China, where he has exhibited as part of international ceramic art exchanges. He has received significant recognition for his practice, including winning the 2024 Muswellbrook Art Prize (Ceramics) and being a finalist in the 2022 Waverley Small Sculpture Prize. He has also represented Stanley Street Gallery at the 2018 and 2024 Sydney Contemporary Art Fair and the 2023 Melbourne Design Fair.

His work was the subject of a major feature in The Journal of Australian Ceramics (Issue 63, 2024), highlighting his unique perspective on material, memory, and environmental impact. But at its core, his work is about something simple: paying attention—to the things we use, the things we throw away, and the pressures, both big and small, that shape us all.

Currently living and working in Ngario Country (Captains Flat, NSW), Hayes explores new ways to reimagine everyday materials, transforming the discarded into thought-provoking ceramic works.

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