Civilisation Lost
Carolyn Folland
Civilisation Lost (detail) 2026
Stoneware
Combination of stoneware glazes, black matt, magnesium matt and iron-speckle gloss
50 x 48 x 20 cm
About the Artwork
Civilisation Lost evokes the intrigue and apprehension of an alien discovery. The circular form could indicate a meteor, shaped and scarred as it burned through the atmosphere. Or perhaps it’s an ancient instrument—something ceremonial, now long forgotten and unlikely to be played again?
The erratic textures and weathered, blistered surface give the piece a fossilised look and feel, and the rough metal stand adds an urgency: quickly cobbled together to display this strange discovery before a baffled public. What is it and where did it come from?
About the Artist
Carolyn Folland is an emerging ceramicist based between Meanjin/Brisbane and the Bundjalung/ Tweed Valley. Carolyn has developed her own technique of throwing vessels on the wheel and randomly tearing the forms and sculpting them together over moulds. The changing thickness of the layers determines the sculpted motifs, and draping invites gravity to further stretch and form new contours. Carolyn is inspired by the wildness and beauty of rock formations. Using her hands to work with the resistance and capitulation of the clay, she channels the forces of wind, water, heat, and gravity that form these natural forms.
Carolyn has studied for 10 years under the mentorship of Ray Cavill at Clayschool Brisbane. She prefers experimentation and has recently committed full time to her ceramic practice. In 2026, she was a Finalist in the North Coast Ceramics Surface Award and participated in Clay’s Cool exhibition at the Clay Gulgong Ceramics Conference, NSW. In collaboration with Jaimee Pickles, she was a finalist for the Ross Creek Infusion Prize in August 2026.