Artist Profile: Issy Parker

Artist Profile: Issy Parker

Article by Elli Walsh

Having recently graduated from the National Art School, majoring in ceramics, Parker is searching for her own frames of beauty. As a young artist of Australian and African American heritage, she re-examines the ostensible ‘primitivity’ of the ceramic mode – one of humanity’s oldest artforms. Experimenting with textures and patterns on functional forms, Parker playfully prods Western ideals lodged deep within art, both historically and presently, and within one’s own perceptions of beauty.

‘My ideas of beauty are not conventional scopes of beauty. I’m inviting a new conversation – lumps and bumps are beautiful’, she explains. Each form celebrates irregularity and individuality, valorising the ‘imperfect’ as perfect.

Read the full article through the link below.

Image: Isabella Parker, Banksia
#Follow us on Instagram
The National Art School is proud to present The Postgrad Show, celebrating the work of our graduating Master of Fine Art (MFA) and Doctor of Fine Art (DFA) students. 

RSVP today to join us for the Opening Night on Thursday 6 November (link in bio)

Opening Night: Thursday 6 November (RSVP link in bio) 
Exhibition dates: 7 – 16 November 2025

Experience a compelling cross-section of contemporary practice through ceramics, drawing, painting, photomedia, printmaking, and sculpture across NAS Galleries, Building 25 Project Space, and artist studios. 

Details about The Grad Show showcasing the work of our graduating BFA cohort will be announced mid-November.
Loading...