Tracie Bertram

Tracie Bertram is a ceramic artist living and working on beautiful Worimi Country in the Great Lakes region of the lower Mid-North Coast of New South Wales.

Her sculptural practice is deeply inspired by the natural world, exploring the intricate relationship between humanity and nature. Working with organic forms and motifs, she repeats and reimagines them to reflect the fractal beauty of the environment—echoing the textures, patterns, and rhythms found both on land and beneath the sea.

Finding endless inspiration in the rainforest hinterland surrounding her home, her practice that celebrates the richness of our natural world while quietly questioning its fragility.

Bertram creates handbuilt ceramic sculptures using paper-clay. Her process is primarily coil-based, building each piece slowly and intuitively. She models the surfaces by hand, adding detailed textures and organic contours that echo the natural world. She sometimes use press moulds of seed pods, shells and rock surfaces for added interest.A variety of glazes are applied to develop rich colour palettes and surface qualities—ranging from glossy and luminous to dry and earthy—depending on the mood and character of each piece.

Since graduating from the Hunter Institute of Higher Education in 1987, she has maintained a dedicated art practice, exhibiting in numerous solo and group exhibitions across Newcastle, Sydney, Melbourne, and regional NSW. In 2007, she completed a Master of Fine Arts at the University of Newcastle, further deepening her exploration of large-scale sculptural ceramics.

Tracie is preparing for several upcoming exhibitions, including Response III – Sculpture at the Hunter Region Botanic Gardens and Watt Space Gallery in Newcastle (late July), From Mud to Masterpiece - a group show of contemporary ceramics at Maitland Regional Gallery (October), and a solo exhibition with Damien Minton Presents at the end of the year.