Prue Venables has established an international reputation as one of Australia's leading contemporary ceramists. Prue is motivated by a search for simplicity and as a result her elegant, hand-thrown pieces contain a core stillness and serenity which set them apart. Her apparently simple porcelain objects disguise the laborious making process involved. As Prue explains, “I enjoy the contradictory nature of the pieces, where the sprung tension of the throwing remains clear, but the origins of forms are uncertain.” She has a particular interest in functional objects, and 19th Century industrial English pottery styles are juxtaposed with more familiar references to modern metal and plastic objects and vessels.

Prue Venables was born to Australian parents in England but was initially educated in Melbourne. After returning to the UK and graduating from the renowned Harrow College of Art in London, Prue taught and practised ceramics there for 12 years. She returned to Australia in 1989 and has continued to exhibit widely in Australia, Japan, Europe, Asia and the USA. She has won many awards for her work, including the Premier Award in the 1995 Fletcher Challenge, 2nd prize in the Hermanns Art Award in 2001, and three honourable mentions at the Mino International Ceramics Competition in Japan. Her work is in the collections of the National Gallery of Australia, Powerhouse Museum, Queensland Art Gallery, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, National Gallery of Victoria, Hamilton Art Gallery (New Zealand), Auckland Museum and Gallery (New Zealand) and many university and regional galleries.