Raised in Tokoroa, Tracy Keith remembers the influence the pulp & paper timber industry on its largely Māori and Polynesian workforce. 

“When we follow work in industries like paper mills, smelters and freezing works it means we can’t always live by our tūrangawaewae (ancestral home), and this can lead to the deterioration of culture.” 

Keith stretches, pushes and moulds clay to create raku vessels with shapes and embellishments that evoke memories of whenua as well as of machine parts. 

Many of Keith’s vessels retain cracks and ruptures from the firing process and molten glazes and metallic hues give each vessel a unique character.

“My uneven surfaces are a reference to the weathered and layered structure of the land, as well as of industry as an intrusive entity.” 

Tracy Keith graduated with a Master of Fine Arts from Whitecliffe College of Art and Design.