Tukituki Valley potter Kim Morgan combines work with an idyllic rural lifestyle

Hands to the wheel. Potter Kim Morgan in action.

Kim Morgan has been a potter for 46 years, Kem Ormond catches up with him to learn more about his life and work in the Tukituki Valley.

Kim Morgan has been a potter for 46 years. He lives an idyllic lifestyle in the Tukituki Valley at the back of Havelock North.

A place where there is no traffic congestion when he heads off to work; as all he has to do is wander over to his shed, give the horse or dog a pat along the way, turn on the light, find his selected choice of music and sit at his potter’s wheel while looking down on the Tukituki river.

What an office to have!

I was interested to know why Morgan decided to be a potter and what had changed in the pottery world during his 46 years of honing his craft.

“I went on a school trip to see pottery being made, I loved what could be produced and the environment, so eventually enrolled in a ceramics course at Dunedin Art School,” Morgan said.

In the ‘80s he made decorative pieces, in the ‘90s, it was domestic ware, and in 2000, individual pieces found their way around various parts of New Zealand. 2010 saw mass production for restaurants and in the 2020s it has been all about colour.

When it comes to his pottery pieces and what he is known for, I instantly think of his glazes, especially his blue-mottled glazes, they are stunning and have certainly stood the test of time.

Morgan has a way of making his cups and mugs just fit naturally in the palm of your hand.

Kim Morgan busy on his potter's wheel.

They are known for their ergonomically-made thumb press handles — honestly, your hand slides into the correct position every time.

Having made more than 100,000 of these mugs over his pottery career, he has them perfected.

No particular item he makes is a favourite, he relishes the opportunity to sit with his lump of clay and make whatever he feels inclined to on any given day.

He has never lost the excitement he feels each time he opens his kiln to see how a new glaze has worked.

When asked what piece has been the one he has felt most proud of making, in typical Morgan style, his reply was:”The last piece I made or, if not, it will be the next piece, and I will have to work harder to make it even better!”.

Thinking he dug his clay from some mysterious no-tell spot, I was surprised to find out that he has sourced it from Europe, US, China, Australia and even made his own over the years.

Kim Morgan's trademark cups and mugs.

”It is not where it is from but how you put it to use,” he said.

The trend for pottery in one’s home has had its highs and lows over the years and Mogan has seen that do a full circle, a bit like a pottery wheel, I guess.

If dining in some of Hawke’s Bay’s restaurants, you are likely to have your meal served on a dish specially designed by Morgan in collaboration with that restaurant.

A bespoke handbasin can be made to order.

Chefs are also highly creative people and enjoy displaying their dishes on a selected handmade bowl and plate.

As a diner, it adds to the whole experience.

Morgan said it was designing a lid to go over mussel dishes in one restaurant, which set him on the path of specialised tableware for restaurants.

Always refining and developing new glazes and ideas, Morgan’s latest project is collaborating with customers to make beautiful, unique, and bespoke handbasins for their homes.

Experimenting with glazes is something Morgan enjoys doing.

In fact, he will happily sit down with a customer and their ideas for anything pottery, and work with them to produce something unique that they both will be thrilled with.

While the wheel has slowed down, he is still busy taking commissions and producing wonderful one-off pieces and a wide selection of homeware that he sells in galleries, workshop sales, online and word of mouth.

I asked Morgan if he would still be potting at 90, and he replied: ”One day I will walk away from my wheel, smile on my face, happy with the work I have made.”

And what does Morgan do when he is not at the wheel?

He likes to walk his dog, as well as, (as he puts it) “falling down a mountain either on skis or a bike”.