Louise Dentice describes her process as sketching in clay. Trained at UNITEC with a Bachelor of Design majoring in sculpture, Dentice draws on both the fine arts and clay traditions for inspiration. Her works, mostly large vessels, wide dishes and lidded bowls that often feature a bird sitting on the rim, seem to have emerged from some kind of ancient cult – infused with a sense of dark ceremony, worship or cathartic ritual. Working with a sense of humour, Dentice readily admits she incorporates the birds into her work with some foreboding, indeed a loathing that doesn’t quite tip over into the phobic.