The Basalt Collection

The Basalt Collection arises from our appreciation of the natural world and, in particular, the ground itself.

The collection is comprised of a number pieces that utilise black ceramics. As a kind of “ground” in itself, we consider black clay as a sensual material that honours the important role played by basalt in the natural world.

Basalt is a hard, dark grey to black igneous rock commonly formed through the rapid cooling of iron and magnesium rich lava. Over 90% of volcanic rocks are basalt and, as the most abundant underlying bedrock in the world, it literally and figuratively constitutes the foundation of Planet Earth’s life-sustaining environment.

The primacy of basalt’s relationship with Planet Earth cannot be overstated. Basalt may not be The Earth, but it most certainly IS earth. For Malki Studio artists, basalt therefore possesses a powerful symbolism not only as bedrock but also as a conduit to The Earth’s mantle—that awesome, beautiful, and terrifying thing we glimpse see when volcanoes erupt.

In Bargara (Queensland, Australia), where Malki Studio is based, we have a special relationship with basalt because most of our local beaches are lined with basalt rocks. These, and the fertile iron-rich red soil that supports local agriculture, are the result of an ancient volcano eruption.

These elements have contributed greatly to The Basalt Collection’s colour palette, which is characterised by sumptuous black and deep reds as well as vivid blues and greens that cite the oceans and skies.