Siblings by Susan Endres and Michael Michaels

Siblings brings together the distinct ceramic practices of North Canterbury artists Michael Michaels and Susan Endres. Although working independently, both artists share a long-standing fascination with the human condition, exploring themes of identity, memory, vulnerability, and resilience. 

For Susan Endres, repeated ceramic forms become a vehicle for reflecting on empathy and human connection. Meanwhile, Michaels draws upon modernist and minimalist traditions, creating sculptural objects that deftly balance utility with abstraction. Together, Siblings offers a compelling look at how two practices can evolve in isolation, yet continue to echo one another from the core of the clay. 

Susan Endres 

Susan’s ceramic forms are about multiplicity and how we react to the balance and unifying harmony of the symmetry it creates. Multiplicity occurs and recurs as the matter of life creates and procreates, all essentially pertaining to the same fundamental core of nature.  The sense of calmness and harmony it inspires as opposed to the complexities of individuality is the intention behind Susan’s work.

Michael Michaels 

Michael Michaels is a North Canterbury ceramic artist, educator, and co-founder of KudoClay Pottery Studios. His work investigates the vessel as a structural canvas, drawing on influences ranging from mid-century modernism and minimalism to traditional pottery practices. Through an ongoing process of iteration and refinement, Michaels creates quiet, contemplative forms that confidently occupy the fluid space between functional utility and pure sculpture.