From a family pottery to a gallery of his own.
Ashley’s journey began at the age of 12, when his parents launched a commercial pottery in the early 1970s. The business employed people from all walks of life and thrived for about seven years during a golden age of New Zealand ceramics. At the time, pottery wasn’t just craft – it was fashion. A sales tax on imported ceramics made handmade pieces more accessible and desirable, and owning local pottery became a national trend.
When the family business was sold, Japanese ceramicist Nami Miyoshi suggested Ashley apply to live and work at Driving Creek Railway, then operated by the legendary Barry Brickell. The move would shape his trajectory as a maker. Ashley developed a strong passion for wheel work and explored clay as a sculptural medium. While at Driving Creek, he created a large ceramic chess set that was later acquired by the Waikato Museum (then the Hamilton Museum) in 1978, where it remains in the permanent collection. He later pursued a Bachelor of Applied Arts at Whangārei Polytechnic and continued developing his practice, balancing large sculptural works with functional domestic ware.
Throughout his career, Ashley has drawn inspiration from those he worked alongside – especially Barry Brickell, who became a key influence in his understanding of clay. Over time, ancient ceramic traditions and the work of New Zealand artists such as Graham Fraser, Warren Tippett, and Andrew Van der Putten helped refine his aesthetic. In the 1980s and ’90s, Ashley’s work evolved through colour and brushwork, allowing expressive surface design to emerge as a central focus of his ceramic language.
Having lived and worked in the Coromandel for over 40 years, the natural landscape continues to inform Ashley’s practice.
The ocean and forest appear throughout his decorative work – fish and sea forms acting as symbols of place and connection. But it’s not just the visual beauty of the region that keeps drawing him back.
“What is particularly unique about Coromandel, and what has brought me back here year after year,” he says, “are the mountains, beautiful sandy beaches, and the pink, dappled light reflected on the hills as the sun sets into the ocean.”
This October, Ashley is set to open his own gallery – Kōtare Ceramics – in Coromandel Town. The space will serve both as a dedicated showcase for his own work and as a platform for fellow local artists. Part gallery, part exhibition space, Kōtare Ceramics is intended to uplift the creative energy of the region and support a community that’s long been rich in artistic expression.
Ashley hopes visitors to the gallery will experience a deep sense of connection to nature – sun, sea, forest, sky, and the land beneath it all. And for those who take a piece home, it becomes more than an object: it becomes part of a personal collection, a story told through form and fire.
As he prepares for the opening – timed to coincide with the Coromandel Open Studios Arts Tour in October, which Coromind is proud to be partnering with this year – Ashley is hard at work creating new pieces and planning future exhibitions. Looking toward 2026, Kōtare Ceramics will begin hosting installations and shows by well-known New Zealand artists, alongside Hauraki House Gallery.
For more information about his work and upcoming gallery, contact Ashley at: ashleyjthornz@gmail.com
Words by Genevieve Morley and Leo Magri
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