236: New Zealand Week: Michael O’Donnell on the spiritual aspect of ecology

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an
interview with Michael O’Donnell. A longtime resident of the
Coromandel region, Michael is an environmental advocate that uses
ceramic sculpture to tell the story of the local ecology. His
role as clay worker, story teller and spiritual seeker has been
spurred on in defiance of multinational mining corporations that
are working in the region. In our interview we talk about the
influence of Barry Brickell, creativity as an antidote to
depression, and Maori spiritual beliefs about water. To see
images of Michael’s studio and work search Tarariki Pottery on
www.artzentao.co.nz.


 


This interview is part of a New Zealand series taped in April and
May of 2018. I want to send a special thank you to the Ceramics
Association of New Zealand for their support in making the
series. To join the association, or to subscribe to their journal
Ceramics New Zealand, visit www.ceramicsnz.org.


 


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