Bio & Information
William Ricketts (1898–1993) Bio
William was an Australian potter and sculptor of the arts and crafts movement Born in Richmond Victoria in 1898 William briefly work as a potter with Australian Porcelain Company in the early 30’s William settled in Mount Dandenong Victoria Aboriginal spirituality and respect for the natural world was his general message throughout his artworks His major works include the “Dromana” in the Seawinds Garden Arthurs Seat Victoria and “Gun Brute” at the William Ricketts Sanctuary Mount Dandenong Victoria Many smaller works are in the collection of the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney Photographic records of his sculptures particularly those from the sanctuaries of Pitchi Richi and Mount Dandenong are held in the archives of Australia’s libraries William supported himself through commissioned sales of his art and made pieces as gifts These signed original small pieces are increasingly sought after for private collections From 1949 to 1960 he made frequent trips into Central Australia to live with Pitjantjatjara and Arrernte Aboriginal Australians whose traditions and culture inspired his sculpture He was not an Aboriginal by blood but considered himself adopted by the Pitjantjatjara Aboriginal People He left many of his central Australian works at Pitchi Richi near Alice Springs – a bird sanctuary run by his friend Leo Corbet – as he considered the landscape integral to these sculptures In the 1970s he spent two years in India mostly at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram spiritual centre in Puducherry developing spiritual empathy with Indian people and knowledge of their philosophy In 1934 he started his major artistic work creating the sculpture park now named William Ricketts Sanctuary In the 1960s the Government of Victoria bought the Sanctuary from William and made it a public park William lived and worked there on this project until his death in 1993
