Just As Long As We're Together

Hamish Bassett 
Just As Long As We're Together 
Stoneware ceramic
1.7 x 3.4 x 3.4 cm
$350

This body of work by Hamish Bassett comprises of a wheel-thrown miniature ceramic tea set inspired by the mismatched collections of cups and mugs commonly found in suburban homes. These vessels are rarely assembled as complete sets; instead, they accumulate over time through everyday use, replacement, and chance, forming quiet records of domestic life.

By working at a reduced scale, Hamish explores ideas of distance, memory, and the gradual disappearance of shared domestic rituals. The familiar act of sitting down for tea - once a regular pause within the day - becomes abstracted and removed from its original function. The miniature nature of the pieces remind us that they were once familiar objects that could easily be held in one hand but are now distant and unreachable, too small to ever be useful, surreal relics that no longer fit in our hands.
The mismatched forms reflect fragmentation and absence, pointing to the loss of cohesion within contemporary domestic spaces. The mismatched nature of the cups and teapots remind us that they may have once been parts of sets but are themselves lost, separated in op shops or garage sales or orphaned by breakages. While the cups remain recognisable, their scale and presentation shift them from functional objects to contemplative ones, inviting reflection on what lingers, fades, or is quietly overlooked within everyday material culture and the ever-growing presence of social media.

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Artworks currently on exhibition can be collected from the gallery at 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne VIC 3000 once the exhibition has concluded. Collection is available during gallery hours: Tuesday to Friday, 12–7pm, and Saturday, 12–4pm.

If you are unable to collect your purchase in person, fortyfivedownstairs can arrange a shipping quote. Please contact us at gallery@fortyfivedownstairs.com to discuss available options.