Art, Objects and Ritual with Jodie Fried

We sit down with artist and Armadillo co-founder, Jodie Fried, to discuss her creative process and the intimate dialogue between art and object.

For artist Jodie Fried, the appeal of ceramics resides in the quiet rituals of making – hands returning to material, the cadence of practice and the space where art and object converge. “Clay is an intimate and solitary conversation,” she reflects when asked about her creative process. “It allows me to return to the body, to touch, rhythm, and repetition. This practice feeds everything else I do, grounding my thinking in material honesty and process rather than the outcome.”

This triangulation between art, ritual and outcome – or object – is something Fried is exploring with her work in ‘DONE/UNDONE’, an upcoming exhibition at Craft Victoria in Melbourne, Australia. “[This work] speaks to process, incompleteness, and transformation – they are ideas that resonate strongly with ceramics. I want the viewer to feel as though they’ve stepped into an ongoing conversation, one that continues with or without them, but gently invites their presence.”

‘DONE/UNDONE’ has been curated by stylist and longtime Armadillo collaborator Joseph Gardner, who has brought together work from more than 50 artists across medium, scale and practice for this exhibit. “Curating 50+ makers, in a visually cohesive show is not the easiest of tasks,” explains Gardner. “So, I chose a loose narrative, that could be interpreted in different ways, while providing visual cues – focused more on materiality and texture. The narrative was very much centered around the idea of craft itself – craft, different to design is not often driven by perfection, rather showing the hand of the maker. The process of the maker is what I find really fascinating – knowing when a work is done, when to undo, or rework.”

According to Gardner, who is also the director of Sydney Gallery, Studio Gardner, Fried’s work was a natural choice for its “gentle, meticulous hand and keen eye for color and texture.” He says: “The power of this particular body of work is seeing the works displayed en masse – 101 vessels in varying scale and shifting tones to be precise. [It has been] described by Jodie as an exploration of the interplay between individuality and community – which at this current time, feels incredibly poignant.”

Here, we go deeper with Fried on the creative process behind this work and the intimate rituals of making.

Photography by Jessie Prince, Pier Carthew and courtesy of Craft Victoria

“Clay is never truly “done”; it is always shaped by time, heat, chance, and human touch.”

This body of work was conceived specifically for ‘DONE/UNDONE’ at Craft Victoria. How did the context of the exhibition shape your approach?

Knowing the work would be encountered collectively in a gallery setting with other artists and materials was fundamental. I wanted to create a field of objects rather than a series of individual statements. ‘DONE/UNDONE’ speaks to process, incompleteness, and transformation – they are ideas that resonate strongly with ceramics. Clay is never truly “done”; it is always shaped by time, heat, chance, and human touch. This exhibition allowed me to lean into that sense of openness.

The vessels recall ancient forms while feeling distinctly contemporary. How do you negotiate that balance?

I’m deeply inspired by ancient utilitarian forms – vessels that have existed across cultures and centuries. They carry a quiet wisdom and restraint. By working within these archetypal shapes, I allow surface, proportion, and grouping to do the expressive work. The contemporary aspect emerges not through novelty, but through intention, through how the objects are placed in dialogue with one another and the space they inhabit.

“I work slowly, intentionally, and without excess.”

You speak of the vessels as having individual personalities. How does that individuality emerge within such a disciplined, repetitive process?

Each piece begins with the same foundational gesture, yet small variations inevitably arise: a shift in pressure, a subtle change in thickness, the unpredictability of glaze. Rather than correcting these differences, I welcome them. They are the quiet markers of individuality. Together, the vessels reveal how variation enriches unity rather than disrupting it.

Glaze experimentation is central to this body of work. Can you speak more about your relationship to surface and color?

Just as I obsess over at Armadillo with fiber and weave texture and deep tones and color with our rugs, I spent a long time testing glazes to achieve tones that feel geological, as though they have been unearthed rather than applied. These deep, earthy colors hold a sense of time and erosion. They are not decorative, but layered and elemental, reinforcing the idea that these forms belong to a larger natural and communal system.

There is a strong sense of movement and dialogue within the installation. How intentional is this choreography?

Very intentional. I think of the installation almost as a quiet gathering. I specifically asked [the curator] Joseph and Craft Victoria if they could be on the floor, huddled together like a bird's-eye view of a crowd, of a group of people. The spacing, height, and relationships between vessels are carefully considered so that the work breathes but they are also deeply connected. I want the viewer to feel as though they’ve stepped into an ongoing conversation, one that continues with or without them, but gently invites their presence.

“I want the viewer to feel as though they’ve stepped into an ongoing conversation, one that continues with or without them.”

Sustainability and ethical making underpin much of your work. How do these values manifest in your clay practice?

Sustainability, for me, begins with respect, for materials, process, and time. Clay is humble and unforgiving; it demands attention and care. I work slowly, intentionally, and without excess. There’s a quiet ethics in choosing to make less, but with greater presence and longevity.

What do you hope lingers with viewers after they leave the exhibition?

I hope there’s a sense of calm, perhaps even recognition, a feeling that beauty or existence doesn’t always need to be loud or singular. Sometimes it emerges through accumulation, through quiet dialogue, through shared presence and togetherness. If the work encourages people to think differently about connection and community, and that really, we are just a sum of parts, then I feel it has done its work.

Fried’s work can be viewed at Craft Victoria as part of ‘DONE/UNDONE’, curated by designer Joseph Gardner, from now until February 7, 2026.