Collection: Kylie Matheson

Kylie Matheson has always felt a deep connection with animals—a lifelong passion that eventually found its perfect medium in clay. Though she experimented with other materials earlier in her creative journey, it was clay’s tactile nature that resonated most, capturing the texture, movement, and spirit of fur and feathers with striking authenticity.

After seven years exploring New Zealand in her bus, Kylie settled briefly in Napier, where she first discovered the joy of working with clay. In 2014, she returned to her hometown of Dunedin to pursue a Diploma in Ceramics at Otago Polytechnic, determined to bring her artistic vision to life.

Today, Kylie is a full-time ceramic artist working from her home studio. Her sculptural work explores themes of connection and symbolism, often referencing the legacy of her beloved grandfather through an arrow motif. Two distinctive red circles around each animal’s eye speak to a “circle of awareness”—an invitation to reflect on the relationships between animals, their environments, and ourselves.

Her pieces are richly textured and proudly bear the marks of the maker, celebrating the honesty and vitality of handmade art.