Leonie Ryan was born in Melbourne, Australia in 1965. At age six she moved with family to Gippsland, Victoria. Growing up in a rural area her life was occupied with explorations of the surrounding countryside. Over thirty years Ryan has worked across a vast range of disciplines including ceramics, sculpture, sensory art, installation art, photography, performance and exhibited in multiple group and solo exhibitions. In 2016 she completed Master of Fine Art, between 2008 to 2014 was awarded Bachelor of Visual Art and Design, Master of Visual Art from Monash University and a Diploma of Visual Art and Design. Throughout May and June this year, Ryan has been invited to Vallauris Artist Residency in France, as one of six international artists to produce a ceramic project to exhibit.
In 2019 Ryans art practice shifted to explore sensorial art on a more personal level, with a clear focus back on ceramics. The versatility and yielding nature of clay opens a plethora of sensorial modalities, such as, touch, smell, sound, weight, temperature, movement and transformation. Between the handling of clay and ceramic processes, a rhythm occurs connecting mind, body and soul. Ryan creates her distinctive artistic language through processes of abstraction and inspired by the material qualities and smooth geometry of Mid-Century Modern Art and Furniture.
Enjoying the benefits and flexibility of firing sculpture and occasionally domestic ware, in either her electric or gas kilns, Ryan is also delighted about making a Raku kiln which is near to completion.
From May to November Ryans ceramic practice is based at her studio in Shannonvale near Port Douglas. For the rest of the year her ceramic practice is based at her studio in Gippsland.
