BRUTALIST / Baroque
left: Donalee Moriarty equisetifolia 2026.
right: Nicolette Johnson Thalassa (golden spring) 2026.
Courtesy of the Artists. Photography, Nicolette Johnson.
5 Sep 2026 — 22 Nov 2026
left: Donalee Moriarty equisetifolia 2026.
right: Nicolette Johnson Thalassa (golden spring) 2026.
Courtesy of the Artists. Photography, Nicolette Johnson.
| Dates | Saturday 05 September to Sunday 22 November |
|---|---|
| Times | Open 10am — 5pm daily |
| Cost | FREE | No bookings are required to visit the exhibition |
| Booking | - Facilitated and organised groups require a booking to visit this exhibition. - Opening event | RSVP Required | Booking link coming soon. |
| Age | All ages welcome |
COMING SOON — An exhibition by ceramic artists, Donalee Moriarty and Nicolette Johnson, exploring the shared qualities that unite their seemingly opposing styles.
Brutalism and Baroque are architectural styles founded on contrasting ideals. Emerging in the mid-20th century, Brutalism emphasised bold geometric forms and honesty, while the Baroque of the 17th and 18th centuries celebrated drama, movement, and ornamentation.
These influences can be seen in the ceramic practices of Donalee Moriarty and Nicolette Johnson. Moriarty's work draws on modernism, and restrained geometry, embracing the integrity of clay. In contrast, Johnson creates romantic, stylised forms that evoke history, symbolic meaning, and beauty that evokes the sublime.
Despite their contrasting approaches, the artists' practices run parallel and complement one another, creating a dialogue that highlights the intrinsic qualities of each other's work.
Both artists are locally based, with Moriarty living in Ipswich and Johnson in Brisbane.
BRUTALIST / Baroque is an Ipswich Art Gallery exhibition
Artists
Nicolette Johnson
Nicolette Johnson is a ceramic artist interested in the vessel. Her work explores our connection to the natural world and the way we assign powerful meaning to objects.
Johnson was born in London, England in 1990, grew up in Texas, USA, and has been based in Meanjin (Brisbane), Australia since 2005. Working in stoneware and employing wheel-throwing, coiling, and sculpting techniques, Johnson applies a modern sensibility to classical forms.
Her work is included in the permanent collections of The National Gallery of Victoria, The Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, Museum of Brisbane, and the Griffith University Art Museum.
Johnson began working in ceramics in 2015 and continues her practice-led exploration into functional and sculptural ceramic vessels, hand-making and firing each of her works in her Brisbane home studio.
Donalee Moriarty
Donalee Moriarty is an Australian ceramic artist whose practice is centred on experimenting with clays and firing processes, drawing inspiration from architectural and natural forms, as well as weathered surfaces and textures.
She blends the precision of structured handbuilt forms with irregular surface treatments. This exploration of the structured and the spontaneous, the predictable and the unpredictable forms the core narrative of her work.
Moriarty holds a Masters of Environmental Management, and is currently completing a Masters of Visual Arts at the Queensland College of Art and Design. She has previously been a finalist in several awards, including the National Emerging Art Prize, the North Queensland Ceramic Awards, and the Siliceous Award for Ceramic Excellence.
She conducts her practice from her home studio in Tulmur (Ipswich), Queensland.
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