Women of FME #4
Introducing Lotte Schwerdtfeger, a multi-disciplinary artist and ceramicist living between Dja Dja Wurrung country (Castlemaine) and Tandanya (Adelaide). Lotte creates ceramic vessels which are rooted in the natural world — sometimes functional, sometimes not. Her experiments with materials, life cycles, and observations of her world inform a sense of play into her process. As a previous resident of our pop-up store in our Castlemaine studio, we are delighted to release a selection of Lotte’s magical pieces available to purchase here through FME.
Could you walk us through your most treasured daily ritual?
Waking up to my budgie roommates. They live on a tree in our room and sometimes land on my pillow to see if I have breakfast for them. I have a roadside bushwalk to the bus stop each morning. Often it seems like a chore when it’s four degrees or hailing, but it’s always a delightful time of day, stepping into the clear air, high on a hill, on Kaurna country.
Has the concept of ‘home’ changed for you since your recent interstate move? What is an essential element of your home that you couldn’t be without? I left my sweetheart at home in Victoria while I work in South Australia. Being separate has made my new home life feel liminal. While I can survive being apart, it would be sweeter to do the gardening together. My brother, the birds and I live in a house with a rambling garden and many eccentricities. It sometimes feels like camping. I spend most of the time working in my studio, my third home. It is a great privilege to have so many places that feel like home to me.
How does your creative practice influence your day-to-day life and rhythm?
At the moment my creative practice is my whole day-to-day. I’ve been full time in the studio experimenting, consolidating my skills, and working in production and teaching. The rhythm of researching, playing and executing a project is everything.
What do you collect?
I used to collect everything including disheveled lost pet posters, phrases I liked and decorative animals made of shells glued together. Collecting is a big part of my practice as a way of beginning research, but also how I source materials from the land and from what others have discarded. I’ve amassed a satisfying collection of artworks and handmade ceramic tableware made by friends and colleagues. These objects are like a diary of sweet reminiscences.
Creative Muse: Lotte Schwerdtfeger
IG: @lotteschwerdtfeger
Wearing: FME Apparel Pinstripe Lennox Shirt
Photography: Lotte Schwerdtfeger