Skip to content

Cart

Your cart is empty

ABOUT

Meet Ruby Pilven

Ruby Pilven is a Ballarat ceramic artist who creates brilliantly coloured porcelain ceramics. Having grown up with ceramic artists for parents, Janine and Peter Pilven, Ruby has been involved in ceramics from an early age. Ruby studied a double degree in Business (marketing) and Visual Arts (printmaking) at Monash University.

Photo: Teagan Glenane


Drawing on her printmaking background, Ruby often marries her passion for printmaking and ceramics in her jewellery and ceramics work by creating layers of colour and pattern. Her work is a contemporary twist on the Japanese technique called Nerikomi, hand-building with coloured clay. This technique explores her long fascination and relationship with Japanese culture and her connection with contemporary Australian art scene. Her work oscillates between structured techniques and chance operations.

Ruby’s ceramics is unabashed neo-chintz that references contemporary style and culture. It is audacious in its bold yet muted pastel colour patterns, striking in its metallic 12 carat gold highlights and distinctive in its structure and form. Above all, Ruby wants her ceramics to inject joy into everyday life….making it that little bit more fun.

Ruby is the owner and manager of the Ross Creek Gallery, situated next to her studio. See here for more information: Ross Creek Gallery.

Ruby Victoria Pilven CV

Education

2003–2008
Ballarat High School (Ballarat)
2009–2013
Double Degree of Bachelor of Visual Arts/Bachelor of Business (Monash University, Caulfield)
2016–2017
Master of Teaching (Secondary) (Federation University, Ballarat)

Exhibitions

2008
VCE TOP ARTS, National Gallery of Victoria
2008
Next Generation exhibition, Art Gallery of Ballarat
2008
The Flanagan Art Prize, Ballarat
2009
The Flanagan Art Prize, Ballarat
2010
The Flanagan Art Prize, Ballarat
2010
Space 22 joint Exhibition, Ballarat
2011
Space 22 joint Exhibition, Ballarat
2010
“An intimate space for art from near and far”, Made Gallery, Daylesford
2010
Clunes Ceramic Award Exhibition, Clunes
2010
“Over the Wall”, Monash University, Prato, Italy
2010
“Print, Paper and Porcelain Exhibition”, Made Gallery, Daylesford
2011
Odyssey Exhibition, Space 22, Ballarat
2011
Clunes Ceramic Award, Clunes
2011
Flanagan Art Exhibition, Ballarat
2011
Monash University Graduation Exhibition, Caulfield
2012
Entry 12 Exhibition Brunswick Arts, Brunswick
2012
“Threshold Projects”, Screen Space, Melbourne
2012
“Threshold Projects”, Wallflower Photomedia Gallery, Mildura
2013
“Community & Context”, MADA Gallery, Melbourne, Caulfield
2013
Clunes Ceramic Award, Clunes
2013
Ceramics Victoria, Just Because, Melbourne
2014
Still Firing at 45, Fresh Clay, Melbourne
2015
Stepping Up, Canberra
2015
Northcote Pottery SMALLpieces window display artist, Melbourne
2015
Clunes Ceramic Award, Clunes
2016
Clay - book launch and exhibition, Sydney
2017
Clunes Ceramic Award, Clunes
2018
Golden Plains, joint exhibition with Peter Pilven at Post office Art Gallery, Ballarat
2019
Skepsi Exhibition at Yarra Valley estate as part of Ceramic Conference Victoria
2019
Agendo Art Prize (hosted by Camberwell Grammar School)
2020
The Golden Pantomime, joint exhibition with Madeleine Cruise at the Art Gallery of Ballarat
2020
Encounters, Skepsi, Box Hill
2021
eARTH, St Arnaud Railway Station Gallery, St Arnaud
2021
Knick-knacks, Cube8r Gallery, Fitzroy
2022
A New Generation, Gallery J on Lincoln, SA
2022
Nice Mug, group exhibition, Brunswick street gallery
2023
The Great Takeaway, Craft Lab 2023, Ballarat
2023
Bowie BB, group exhibition, Honey bones Gallery, Melbourne
2024
Small Works Art Prize 2024, Brunswick Street Gallery, Melbourne
2024
The Great Takeaway, Craft Lab 2023, Ballarat
2024
Tabled + Held, The Australian Ceramics Association, Manly Art Gallery & Museum
2024
Golden Spaces, Golden Plains Shire touring exhibition
2025
Flanagan Art Prize, Ballarat
2025
Community of mugs, TBH gallery Ballarat
2026
Clay Gulgong Masters Exhibition, Gulgong
2026
Ballarat Arts Alive, KANK records Ballarat
2026
Korowa Art Prize, Melbourne
2026
CONTINUUM, Australian Ceramics Association Members exhibition, Noosa Regional Gallery

Awards

2007
Studio Art Acquisition prize
2007
Awarded Scholarship from Ladies Art Association
2008
Awarded “Arts and Culture Award” in New Generation exhibition
2011
Emerging Artist Award – Ceramic Clunes Exhibition
2011
Rossdale Paper Award
2019
Agendo Art Prize (first prize winner recipient of $10,000)

Publications

2008
Artwork displayed on the front cover of the VCE and VCAL administrative handbook
2011
The Australian Ceramics Journal edition 51 April
2011
Monash University Grad Show Exhibition catalogue
2014
1000 Beads (International)
2014
Ceramics Victoria edition
2016
Clay Contemporary Ceramic Artisans by Amber Cresswell Bell
2022
Pottery Making Illustrated, Creating Colouful Wrap Vases, August 16, 2021.

Memberships

2013 – present
The Australian Ceramics Association

Collaborations

2015
Radical yes shoes
2015
National Gallery of Victoria - NGV Design store. Masterpieces from the Hermitage: The Legacy of Catherine the Great
2015–2018
Anthropologie (USA)