Photo: Russell Hackney, 2025 Award of Distinction, Sam Carter Award in Applied Art + Design
Applied Art + Design program’s most recent Award of Distinction recipient, Russell Hackney, leads a life shaped by material, process, and an enduring commitment to craft. His art philosophy is grounded in patience, precision, and the belief that making something beautiful matters.
Russell Hackney, based on Bowen Island, is a third-generation ceramic artist whose work reflects more than four decades of refinement in porcelain. Trained in Stoke-on-Trent, England, the historic centre of ceramic production, his early years were immersed in a culture where making was both livelihood and legacy. Entering the studio at a young age and apprenticing under his father laid the technical foundation that continues to inform his work today.
Russell has spoken candidly about his early desire to push against tradition and to find his own direction within an industry defined by convention. That tension between heritage and innovation continues to shape his practice. His embossed porcelain works, created through slip-casting and relief modelling, are deeply rooted in historical technique while remaining distinctly contemporary in expression.
Russell draws inspiration from the natural environment and the rhythms of daily life. Walks through the forest, what he describes as a “thought corridor,” become a space for reflection where ideas begin to take form. These moments of contemplation often translate into intricate, meditative works that invite viewers to slow down and look closely.
His process is as thoughtful as it is technical. From initial sketches to the careful modelling of plaster, Russell describes the act of making as a kind of stillness, a focused and meditative state. It is here, in the quiet repetition of form and detail, that his work takes shape.
At the same time, his practice engages directly with the contemporary world. By elevating ordinary figures through symbolic forms such as halos, he explores how art can hold space for meaning in a rapidly changing technological landscape. It is a reminder that applied art and design are not only functional, but deeply expressive.
Beyond his own studio practice, Russell’s impact extends into the wider artistic community. As both a maker and mentor, he has introduced many artists across British Columbia to the possibilities of slip-casting and mould-making, helping to strengthen and sustain the province’s clay and design communities.
Receiving the Award of Distinction marks an important moment in a long and dedicated career. In the film produced by BC Achievement in recognition of his work, Russell reflects on the recognition with humility, sharing that it has given him renewed motivation to continue making and to pursue the next idea.
His message to emerging artists is simple and lasting. “Make the work you feel compelled to make. Value the process. Pursue beauty, not as an endpoint, but as a way of thinking and working.”
In celebrating Russell Hackney, BC Achievement honours a master of his craft and approach to art that is deeply human.
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