Colorful, whimsical, with twists and turns that make my heart race … yes, all of these pieces make me want to ride imaginary rollercoasters while eating fruity candy. This is the most recent work of Australian artist Lynda Draper. I wrote about her way back in 2010. Her ceramic pieces were fabulous then, but the way she has pushed her work in the past nine years is even more fabulous … and others agree. This past Friday, June 21st, Lynda was awarded the very prestigious Sidney Myer Fund Australian Ceramic Award, which “celebrates and promotes contemporary Australian artists working in the ceramic medium, with $50,000 in prize money.” Amazing! Here is a description of her work found on Gallerysmith {Melbourne}:

[Lynda Draper’s] work explores psychological scenarios often representing a journey within the dualities of life and death, reality and fantasy, past and present. She is interested in the relationship between the mind and material world and the related phenomenon of the metaphysical. Creating art is her way of attempting to bridge the gap between these worlds.

{Thanks to Kylie Gusset of @noticingceramics for letting me know about this exciting news! Congratulations, Lynda!}