Meet the Maker

Lachlan MacKee is an emerging ceramic artist based in Cairns, Queensland, working across functional ware, vessel-based forms, and larger sculptural pieces. His practice centres on wood firing as both an artistic language and a method of material research.

Rather than treating firing as a final technical step, Lachlan approaches the kiln as an active collaborator in the formation of the work. Clay, flame, ash, atmosphere, duration, fuel, and local materials interact throughout the firing process, producing surfaces that cannot be fully predetermined. This relationship between intention and transformation sits at the centre of his practice.

Working primarily on kick wheels in his Cairns home studio, Lachlan develops forms that record the movement of flame and ash. His ongoing research explores how different kiln environments shape surface, colour, texture, and form, with a particular focus on atmospheric firing and the material possibilities of wood-fired ceramics.

This research is closely connected to his property in the Atherton Tablelands, where he is constructing wood-firing and gas kilns to support long-term experimentation with firing conditions, kiln design, and local materials. The landscape, climate, timber, clay, and ceramic communities of Far North Queensland continue to inform the direction of his work.

Alongside his studio practice, Lachlan is developing a technical and educational practice focused on building, firing, and sharing knowledge. His interest in large Anagama-style kilns and extended firings has led him to seek mentorship with experienced wood-firing potters and deepen his understanding of kiln construction, firing strategy, and collaborative firing.

Teaching is now a significant part of Lachlan’s practice through ceramics classes at Cairns TAFE and through sharing wood-firing knowledge within his community. His work continues to develop through the relationship between making, firing, teaching, place, and the collective knowledge built around kilns.