Allan Lowe (1907-2007) is considered to be one of the major ceramic artists of his time particularly in the field of arthenware (lower-fired and more colourful work than stoneware). Born in Melbourne he moved to Ferntree Gully in 1939 and began potting fulltime in 1944 after being discharged from the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation. He worked for many years with a simple kick wheel built by his father out of petrol bower parts which he later sold to his student, Peter Rushforth. He was notable in the 1940s for being influenced by Aboriginal art, with its stylised motif and restricted palette. Lowe's work tended to employ simple abstract forms on earthy colours, which was sympathetic to the interiors of the time. In 1947 the National Gallery of Victoria purchased his work, along with the pieces by Klytie Pate for their collection and this was the first time Australian studio work was purchased by a state gallery. The National Gallery of Victoria held a retrospective of his work in 1979.
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