Les Blakebrough

Les Blakebrough (b 1930), ceramicist, was born in England. After training at East Sydney Technical College, he was apprenticed to Ivan McMeekin in Mittagong and studied under Takeichi Kawai in Japan. His work is represented overseas, in all state galleries and in the Australian National Gallery in Canberra.

Since 1996, Blakebrough has been principal Research Fellow at the Tasmanian School of Art's ceramics research unit where, after years of experimentation, his team developed and trademarked a world-class porcelain. Known as 'Southern Ice' for its qualities of 'whiteness of snow and translucence of ice', it has been marketed successfully overseas. The 2004 Tasmanian wedding gift to Mary Donaldson and Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark was a set of these ceramic plates adorned with Tasmanian flora by botanic artist Lauren Black.

Further reading: Mercury, 27 April 04; University of Tasmania, Unitas 230, 5 August 2002.