We are excited to congratulate Ash Thomas on winning the Slow Clay Scholarship earlier this year. Ash is a prolific Yorta Yorta and Wiradjuri artist who has actively participated in The Torch program for 10 years! He is also part of The Torch’s team, working in the role of Art Support.

Renowned for creating detail-orientated paintings that ‘interconnect culture, spirituality and realism’, Ash has undergone his eight-week ceramic hand building course at Slow Clay Centre in Collingwood. Widely regarded as ‘one of Australia’s leading pottery, clay and ceramics education centres’, Slow Clay was established in 1990 providing pottery classes, advanced training, mentorship, and specialist workshops. Slow Clay’s scholarship is sponsored by a long term student who is passionate about supporting emerging talent.

Ash was in good company, too. His teacher, Dawn Vachon, studied visual arts at Emily Carr University of Art and Design in Vancouver, and her ceramic work is held in both public and private collections.

So too, Ash’s artworks are proudly hung in Moorabbin Court and the City of Melbourne art collection. He was the recipient of the 2019 Chroma Art Award and his work was featured at the Inaugural Victorian First Peoples Art and Design Fair in 2025 as part of Melbourne Art Fair.

When Ash was awarded his scholarship he shared his awesome ideas with his First Peoples Arts Mentor, Marli Maddison. Marli anticipated that ‘Ash’s artistic style will be executed beautifully onto ceramic sculpture’.

Ash has since produced incredible new pieces from his time at Slow Clay. View and purchase his latest works here.