Gabrielle Powell | Maker 

Handmade Cobargo NSW

I am a creative maker and teacher. I do small run handmade contemporary ceramics and recycled baskets.  Studio visits welcome - Cobargo NSW Yuin Country.

I am a born maker. Making beautiful basketry and funky ceramics are both humble occupations and amongst the oldest crafts practised in the world. For me it's all about the creating, weaving and stitching to produce original quality pieces that are a joy to live with. 

In the 80s I completed BA Visual Art - ceramics and then established Bandicoot Pottery on the outskirts of Cobargo with my partner Daniel Lafferty. We worked together in partnership - Daniel throwing pots and I was the decorator. So my lifelong love of ceramics was born, happy to passing hours with design, colour and making pots for everyday use. 

Mid 2000 I changed direction with enthusiasm to textiles and basketry, inspired to make baskets from recycled materials such as tubing, cabling, plastic and wire. Up-cycling is a perfect way to recreate and transform from old to new. Recycling helps conserve important raw materials for the future and I enjoy making useful strong baskets that will last a lifetime. 

​

Every piece I make is totally unique and handmade. Handmade is a genuine and authentic representation - made by hand.  Each piece of pottery, every stitch and twist of wire is made by my hands. When you buy my handmade items, you are buying a commitment to authenticity and a guarantee that no two pieces will ever be exactly alike.

​

Fast forward to today, we have rebuilt our studio after the Black Summer Fires 2019. Daniel and I working together at Bandicoot Pottery offering pottery workshops and classes. This is our way of sharing our love of clay and building new connections in our community. Our studio open hours are irregular so it best to contact us and make a time to visit. 

Please email me for more information.

Gabrielle Powell

Cobargo NSW 2021