The Austrian-born artist moved to Dunedin in 1974, studied ceramics at Otago Polytechnic, and has spent the past seven years working on her world-first technique - pure arcanum glaze.
Using the technique, she creates 3-D, stand-alone objects using pure glaze.
She took up the task of pioneering the style because she wanted to challenge the definition of glaze.
"You can't always assume that any definitions are correct all of the time. Things can change.
"We live in a permanent state of change and with that, our definitions may have to change," Ms Kolig said.
The "very expensive" venture resulted in a "break-through" in 2005 when she made her first "tangible piece" - a wall hanging - while the first stand-alone piece only came at the beginning of this year.
"With ceramics, it's not something you discover overnight. You have to have a background.
"It's been very rewarding and I'm certainly wanting to continue with it and explore more possibilities."
A piece of her work was recently selected by an international jury to show at the 7th International Bienniale of Ceramics, which opens in Kapfenburg, Austria, on September 30.
It will be her first international show and she was "gobsmacked" by the achievement.
"It is a nice feeling as it's been a long time in the making. It validated my input," she said.
The theme "inside out" attracted her to the competition and inspired her piece, Capture and Release.
It consists of a cage made from pure glaze, which contains jugs and other items made from unglazed clay.
"It is something that is detached from what we normally have as a glaze on a clay body. It's distinctively it's own medium.
"In the beginning I think potters had difficulty with the idea ... as it was such a novel concept and novel idea ... but in the meantime, others who have been acquainted to it have come around," she said.
Ms Kolig's next immediate challenge would be ensuring her piece made it to Austria in tact.
