German-born artist Stef Kutzner was raised in Australia, and after studying art and design, Stef went on to work as a Graphic Designer and illustrator. “Working on a freelance basis gave me exposure to a wide range of art forms and mediums from photography and digital art to pencil and water colours. The ‘hands on’ tactile mediums have always held a special draw for me.”
A natural curiosity has always led Stef to travel and explore. Embarking on several trips crossing the Pacific and traveling through the Andean Republics of South America, a particularly rich source of inspiration for him, he found this to be an overwhelming influence in his designs. Always carrying visual journals, which soon fill with ideas, sketches, designs and drawings. Returning from one of his travels with a journal and mind full of ideas, Stef started searching for a medium to create them.
“And then I found clay. My studio was a mess after that. I experimented with this wonderful new medium often late into the night, working it into all the forms from my designs. Over time I refined my technique, I read books and visited exhibitions to learn as much as I could on this new medium. I also had considerable help and advice from master potter Michael Pugh in his Buderim rainforest studio.”
Stef’s latest body of work evolved from many of the ideas in his journals. His designs are simple, refined and pared back to their basic form. They are inspired by the amazing shapes and patterns of the natural world and the wonderfully diverse human cultures he encounters.
