A conversation with Sophie Arbuckle
It’s a summer’s day in Wellington—though the temperature is a modest 17 degrees—and I find myself arriving at a small ceramics studio on the corner of Tinakori Road. Nestled within the old Thorndon Bowling Club, this charming space is home to Sophie Florence Ceramics. Sophie, a proud Wellingtonian, has transitioned from a career as a professional ballerina to becoming a ceramics artist. Specialising in ceramics and small-batch pottery, her designs are beautifully influenced by the ocean, as though they’ve emerged organically from the sea floor in ways that feel both mysterious and effortless.
“I like my viewer to have a sense of mystery as to the origins of each piece. Where did it come from? What does it mean?”
In between teaching ballet and creating unique ceramics, Sophie is an avid free diver. Her favourite spot being Cape Palliser where she spends hours looking for crays. The following entry is a recollection of a morning in conversation with Sophie about her current ceramic work, her journey from ballet to pottery and her artistic processes and goals.
Sophie and I technically first crossed paths when I was about four years old, as we both danced at Paula Hunt Dance (now Wellington Dance and Performing Arts Academy). She was a few years ahead of me and one of the standout dancers at the school. At 16, Sophie left high school to pursue her ballet career, beginning full-time training at the New Zealand School of Dance. During her time there, she was seconded to the Royal New Zealand Ballet and, at just 18, joined their tour across Europe and the UK—an extraordinary start for such a young dancer.
“It was all very exciting. Getting paid to go on an international tour and the per diems!”
After three years at the school, Sophie accepted a full time contract with RNZB as the Todd Scholar. She credits the New Zealand School of Dance with introducing her to a broad range of teaching and ballet styles. “A real highlight was having international teachers come into the school. Pre-covid, we had guest teachers from all over. We had lots of Balanchine, it was amazing!” She danced at the RNZB for a year until leaving for London to find more work overseas. Finding contracts few and far between with many only being short term contracts, Sophie’s last audition was for the Ballet de Monte Carlo - her dream ballet company. Finding freelancing not really her thing, Sophie joined her flatmate for a pottery class and the obsession soon took over.
Lokyee: What is your flatmate up to now? Is she still doing pottery?
Sophie: She’s a lawyer actually, but she just did it once a week for fun. But I really got into it haha I sort of took her hobby.
Lokyee: So when did you decide to pursue pottery as a career?
Sophie: I was working at the Ottolenghi cafe in London as their barista after I stopped dancing. It was very fun and I made lots of great friends there. It was crazy, we would have lines around the block coming for our food. Did a year there, came back to Wellington just before Covid and worked at Havana coffee roastery. I was very into the coffee culture and everything, while I was there, I was also doing some pottery. I did a year at the learning connexion in the Hutt - an art school, doing three days of pottery a week there and that got me into doing it full time. I decided to work in the garden shed, and now in the garage which is where my studio is now. I’ve got a little kiln and two wheels!
Lokyee: What was the most challenging part about leaving ballet and starting a new artistic pursuit?
Sophie: Well I am pleased I am still in the arts. I think I will always be in the arts no matter what. It was my favourite thing at school, art and technology and creating things. I guess it's just what you’ve done your whole life and to not do that anymore is a bizarre situation to be in. I kept myself really busy with doing ceramics, being in London and exploring and travelling - going to shows. It didn’t really hit me straight away. I think I only realised a few years after that I did miss dancing. The performing.
Lokyee: Do you sell most of your work from your studio or from exhibitions?
Sophie: I do the occasional exhibition, maybe once a year? But now I try to do an open studio sale four times a year. I find that's the best way really, I get to talk to the buyers as well.
Lokyee: It must be quite hard to get yourself out there? To promote your work?
Sophie: Yes it is hard to get yourself known. Especially now that the main ceramics gallery - Avid, is now closed, which is very sad. They were representing my work for a few years. So it is sad, but I’ll try to branch out one day to other galleries.
Sophie Arbuckle - in studio
“The skills you learn through growing up dancing really help with what you do. The hard work and the dedication. Nothing else seems quite as hard as that did. Giving anything my all works, because I know how to work hard.”
Lokyee: How did your experience as a professional ballet dancer shape your perspective on art and creativity?
Sophie: The skills you learn even dancing growing up really help with what you do. The hard work and the dedication. Nothing else seems quite as hard as that did. Giving anything my all works, because I know how to work hard. I guess that's the main thing I have taken from it. But there are so many skills we gain from dance that we can use the rest of our lives.
Make it stand out
Lokyee: Are you inspired by ballet when you create your ceramics?
Sophie: I think it has helped practically. I am good with my body and my hands, I can picture something in my mind and use my hands to create it. That has always come really naturally.
I have the articulation.
Lokyee: Through the feet and the hands!
Sophie: Yes, haha articulation through the feet and the hands. I guess that's why I like ceramics too, because it is a more physical art. It is 3D, it has got shape. Which is similar to dance. How can I marry the two one day, I’m not sure… hmm! One of my pottery teachers came up with an idea that I might create a giant pot, and when it is still wet, I could do movement inside the pot and see how that stretched the clay. It would be very interesting... it would be hard to fit that in the kiln! But that could be something to explore to try and fuse the two together.
Lokyee: What themes or emotions do you try to express through your ceramics?
Sophie: I love to create an unknown story so the pieces have a sense of mystery and a history to them. I love to cover and encrust my work with barnacles and texture. I like the viewer to not really know the origin of the piece, as though it's been under the sea for hundreds of years and now taken the form of the sea. That's one of my favourite kinds of sculptures to do.
Especially when I travel, and through books as well, I love to look at ancient ceramics from different cultures. I did a trip to England the year before last to go to the old pottery there, the ones that have been around for hundreds of years and taking old patterns and shapes and making them more contemporary. I love doing that. I went to Japan last year to look at their old ceramics, so any little bits from history I find really fun.
One of my favourite Irish potteries is called Belleek. It is this very fine chain of porcelain from Ireland - there’s no more left of it today. But they used it to create this very fine shell like tableware. Tiny teacups and saucers that are ultra thin. But there’s no more of it! Tableware will never be that fine again.
Lokyee: Can you describe your creative process from concept to finished piece?
Sophie: It's kind of different all the time really. Sometimes I will take a hunk of clay and see what comes out. Other times I will have a whole collection of things in my mind that I will do a sketch of first. Although, they never turn out how I design them. I have a picture in my mind, but when it turns into a physical object, it's quite different and I like that. It's like my own style that I don’t even plan to show.
Lokyee: I guess that draws back to the mystery that you like to create. Even you, the creator, don’t know where the pieces are coming from!
Sophie: Yes I try to keep it as natural as possible. And not try to control it too much. Allowing my ability to come out naturally.
“I have a picture in my mind, but when it turns into a physical object, it's quite different and I like that. It's like my own style that I don’t even plan to show.”
Lokyee: Are there any particular techniques or materials that you enjoy working with the most?
Sophie: I enjoy experimenting with glazes! Making and experimenting with different glazes. It's kind of like baking, mixing minerals and powders in different quantities. Different variables you can control. Getting drippy or catering glazes. There's so much in ceramics you’ll never ever learn everything. Always more to learn and experiment with. You will never get bored.
Lokyee: Looking back, how has your definition of art evolved in your journey from ballet to pottery?
Sophie: I guess when I was young, I wasn’t thinking of dance as art so much. I danced because I liked to dance and I wanted to be as good as I could. But now looking back, I appreciate it a lot more and I see a LOT more art. I enjoy seeing any art whether it’s dance, a gallery, or the ocean. I take inspiration from it all, movies, musical theatre… (little side eye here as we had just fangirled over Wicked and talked about how we wish we were exposed to musical theatre earlier haha).
“I am pleased I am still in the arts. I think I will always be in the arts no matter what”
Lokyee: What are your goals and dreams for your ceramics practice in the coming years?
Sophie: Oohh wow. To do more solo shows, more collaborations, with artists from different mediums. I would love to do that! I would also like to broaden myself to not just ceramics, but other things. A goal would be to create an outfit for WOW. That is a big dream of mine, I have always wanted to do that. So to just keep growing as an artist in general. Continue to be inspired, travel lots and yeah see what comes out of it in my work!
Lokyee: What does pottery mean to your personally and how does it enrich your life?
Sophie: I find it very relaxing really. I find it a great way to channel your ideas. I like sitting quietly and doing that amongst a busy life. Its lovely to spend a morning, doing my own thing in the studio. It is a good balance to my evenings teaching dance which can be very busy. So sitting in my ceramics studio, zoning out, putting on my podcast, my music and simply create.
Words and photos by Lokyee Szeto featuring Sophie Arbuckle.
