ALISTAIR WHYTE

Vale Alistair Whyte

1954 - 2023

Alistair had a keen interest in East Asian art from an early age, having family history ties with Hong Kong and China. He studied ceramics in Bendigo, followed by postgraduate study at the Kyoto University of Fine Arts. In Kyoto he was determined to learn about porcelain techniques, and after three years at the University, Alistair was invited to enter the studio of master ceramicist Hirokuni Katsuno. This proved to be a most enlightening time of life-changing tutelage. Studying Japanese ceramics meant learning the importance of tool making, producing turning chucks, the use of tungsten carbide turning tools, decoration, and glazing techniques with incredible precision.

While studying, he was fortunate to meet his future wife and, after five years in Japan, they made the decision to return to Australia together. They relocated in the early 1980s and eventually settled in the Yarra Valley in Victoria. In Australia, Alistair was faced with many challenges to his practice, but he was determined to continue honing his skills in porcelain. For many years, he imported porcelain clay from Japan until local suppliers began to make new porcelain bodies or import American, French, and English clay bodies. Alistair’s kilns were largely gas-fired in a reduction atmosphere. In recent years, he also built a woodfired kiln and took great pleasure in learning the finer parts of woodfire technique.

His extensive work ranged from raku and earthenware to stoneware, with porcelain being his speciality. Over the years he taught many students both at his home studio and at schools around Australia. In his final years, Alistair poured his efforts into a book: Turning Inside Out, a memoir on his life as a potter and his Japanese porcelain, glazing and firing techniques. He would be very proud to know that the book is now published.

Alistair will be fondly remembered by his family and friends for his generosity and his determination to pass on knowledge to future generations. He was a potter for over 50 years and truly a master of his craft.