Paul Herbert is an Auckland based ceramic artist working primarily with marbled clay vessels and sculpture.

Drawing on nature, the human form, ritual and belief, Paul explores connections between people, cultures and time through the organic forms, patterns and textures of marbled clay.

Paul began his ceramic journey after New Zealand’s first COVID lockdown, studying at Studio One Toi Tū with Kairava Gullatz. He went on to develop a handbuilding practice centred on coiling and nerikomi, or marbled clay, before studying with Helen Perrett at Auckland Studio Potters, where he extended this approach into figurative work.

Paul continues to experiment with marbled clay across vessels and other sculptural forms, increasingly exploring the relationship between the human figure and organic shapes.

Courtesy of the artist