“. . . stretching the boundaries of what is possible.”
When venturing into the unknown it is always wise to take a friend, in life and in ceramics. This adage sits at the heart of kil.n.it, a playfully named not-for-profit experimental ceramics studio based in Glebe, New South Wales, with a strong sense of family and community at its heart.
Featuring sixteen studio artists, eight privately leased artist studios, a shared workshop space, a glaze kitchen, and firing service, kil.n.it has expanded greatly since its founding in August of 2015. Reflecting on the inception of the organisation, kil.n.it President, Adrienne Richards attributes the pursuit of creativity to its growth:
“The City of Sydney was looking for creative endeavours to go into some of their spaces, and an initial group of our artists applied for and was granted the space, (which is) an old nurses’ quarters behind the Glebe Library . . . The medium of ceramics has had a bit of a resurgence over the last few years as it naturally lends itself to the exploration of materiality. As an experimental ceramics studio, kil.n.it encourages artists to experiment with the medium, and the artists that come and join kil.n.it are generally wanting to explore the medium and experiment with it and push it.”

kil.n.it packed kiln. Courtesy kil.n.it, Sydney
Though they have faced disruptions due to COVID-19 and the restrictions of operating in a smaller inner-city venue, Richards insists that stretching the boundaries of what is possible is at the core of kil.n.it’s purpose:
“We have actually just started up our classes again (after COVID). One of the things about our venue: it’s quite a restricted site, so we are looking at ways to collaborate, to have classes that are not necessarily at our venue. The St Helens Neighbourhood Centre next to our building has space, so we organised a masterclass there with the Hermannsburg Potters in conjunction with the Clay Dynasty exhibition at the Powerhouse Museum. We are looking to branch out with our classes again, so hopefully there will be more of that soon.”
Richards notes that this sense of expansion, especially pertaining to knowledge and experience sharing, is a central ethos for kil.n.it, which encourages exploration from their patrons:
“We are quite a close-knit group of artists, but we encourage non-members to get involved as well. The clay community is quite important to us . . . There is definitely a sense of play involved, and a sense of being able to explore the medium in all different ways. The medium of ceramics is infinite and being able to encourage people to really take it in all different directions is something that we encourage. Amongst the artists there is a lot of knowledge in all different specialities, so it’s great to be able to share information about all these different techniques.”

kil.n.it studio view. Courtesy kil.n.it, Sydney
Of their initiatives for up-and-coming artists and the wider community, Richards elaborates:
“We have a prize that we give each year to the graduates of the National Art School, [through their] Bachelor and Masters’ programs. We also have an internship program where students from the University of NSW Ceramics Course can come and use our facilities and learn from our artists about running the studio, including events and exhibitions.”
What is clear is that kil.n.it, in its family spirit, generosity and altruism, has room for everyone:
“There are many ways you can get involved in the ceramics community and making ceramics; once you get into it, it’s a lifetime of exploration. So go and have fun with it!”
Jaimi Wright is a Perth-based arts writer who has also published with Seesaw Magazine, and an art historian with a passion for community engagement.