Multi facetted Suvira McDonald is an award-winning Australian artist who may be found working in the forested hinterland of Byron Bay in northern NSW, Australia. His contemporary ceramic art constantly seeks new modes of expression; in his hands clay takes myriad forms. The large elemental constructed forms that find placement as garden sculpture, his unique ceramic landscapes, functional ceramics such as urns, platters, vases and the everyday coffee mug find uncommon form and excellence in his ceramic studio.
His contemporary ceramic art has been acquired into many collections, private, public and corporate, in Australia and internationally.
His early explorations of the ceramic vessel evolved to very diverse developments in sculpture. Initially ceramic, his sculpture developed into mixed media including wood, glass, bronze and in recent years has turned to steel. It is with steel sculpture that Suvira McDonald reforms his profile in the international community of artists. Creating in his practice now a dialogue between media - as new notions of land, place and artefact emerge from research.
His practice has been influenced and shaped by enquiry into the spiritual traditions of the Orient and various indigenous cultures: he found art and spirituality integrated into culture in this context. Similarly Suvira is inspired by the natural elements in play surrounding his rainforest studio in Australia. His work has a distinct landscape reference whether the medium is ceramic, steel or other metals. The most overt landscape references are contained in his wall mounted ceramic panels, pieces which have evolved from the artist's extensive studies in field photography and drawing, geological science, the Heidelberg School of Painting, the screen painters of 
medieval Japan and glazes of Sung Dynasty Chinese potters. This eclectic set of influences all indicate his strong affinity with land and a connection with spirit in the landscape. These highly original ceramic landscape panels, some with well known landmarks, are mounted on perspex and appear to be floating off the wall. See the Landscape Galleries.
Suvira McDonald's background, which has seen focus at times on producing large vessels, reasserts itself in the production of his contemporary ceramic sculptures. These works are often assemblies of multiple components with very richly encrusted surface textures 
evocative of ancient cultural symbols. They have typically included large bowls, sometimes raised by way of tripod, and which lend themselves to holding water, fire or offerings. The Sculpture Gallery shows examples of these.
Functional ceramics are another dimension of the ceramic medium which continues to inspire investigation and experimentation for Suvira. Discussing the contemporary vessel and its place in daily domestic rituals and special occasions is of particular interest and is central to the creation of the learning environment he creates for students. Examples of Suvira's domestic ware can be found in galleries of the Northern Rivers of NSW, Australia and in the Ceramic Gallery here on site.
In the Steel Sculpture Gallery you can find recent explorations in metal. Impressions of the landscape which have initiated a progressional unfolding of spiralling steel rods has in turn produced a series of award winning pieces. The most recent extending the fish trap theme into a whimsical mode.
Placemaking is a name given to the broad activity of artfully producing public places. It integrates art into our built landscape, therefore producing cultural markers in those environments. Crossing over into Public Art, placemaking represents an interface of art with architecture, a domain where architects, landscape designers and artists meet. The public art of Suvira McDonald enhances such places as corporate foyers and public parks. He has a proven ability to respond well in the commissioning process. Some public and corporate art works are for viewing in the Placemaking Gallery
Amongst the Links in the Contact page you will find sites that contain a list of ceramic artists there amidst the sites of artist peers and professional affiliations.
