Historical information

Gwyn HANSSEN PIGOTT (1935 - 11 July 2013)
Born Ballarat

Gwyn Hanssen-Pigott completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts at Melbourne University in 1954. She spent three years apprenticed to Ivan McMeekin at Sturt Pottery, Mittagong, New South Wales. As a teenager she was taught to through by Neville Bunning, Ceramics lecturer at the Ballarat Technical Art School (a division of the Ballarat School of Mines).

Between 1958 and 1965 Gwyn Hanssen-Piggott worked at various potteries in the United Kingdom, including Winchcombe Pottery in Gloucestershire, Leach Pottery at St Ives, and Wenford Bridge Pottery and Aldermaston Pottery in Berkshire. In 1960 she established her own studio in London.


The essence of her work is purity, simplicity and form. She worked with porcelain for strength and for its translucent nature, and fired with wood to add a dine ash bloom to glazes.

In 1992 Gwyn Hanssen-Piggott visited the Ballarat School of Mines Ceramics students, under the direction if lecturers Neville French and Prue Venables In 1994 she was artist in residence at the Ballarat School of Mines for six months. Gwyn Hanson Piggott received the Order of Australia Medal in 2002.

Born Gwynion Lawrie John at Ballarat on 01 January 1935, Gwyn Hanssen Piggott died in London on 11 July 2018 London where she was for a solo exhibition of her new work.

It is believed this work was presented at the time of Gwyn Hanssen Piggott's residencey in Ballarat.. It is part of the Federation University Art Collection which features over 2000 works and was listed as a 'Ballarat Treasure' in 2007.

Physical description

A bottle and two tumblers by renowned ceramicist Gwyn Hanssen-Piggott.