Nickolas Gauci is a Maltese/Australian painter and ceramicist, working in Naarm/Melbourne on Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung lands. His ceramic pieces draw from his painting practice, with vessels acting as canvases for Nickolas to experiment with gestural marks, expressive textures, bold lines and vibrant colour.

Dripping glazes and blocks of colour give rise to suggestive forms, with bodies enveloping pots and branches winding around ceramic surfaces. Often exaggerated and playful, Gauci’s forms explore surreal futures and the search for home. Drawing on his Maltese-Australian upbringing, migrant ancestry and queer experience, his practice investigates identity, cultural memory and self-connection.

Gauci has over a decade of experience across ceramics, painting and drawing. He graduated from the University of New South Wales Art & Design in 2015 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, specialising in painting and ceramics. He has participated in residencies and exhibited nationally and internationally.