From a very young age, I was exposed to many antique Chinese porcelains that my father collected. He taught me the stories, symbolism and techniques behind each. I was spellbound by their beauty and strength resulting from their long histories of surviving tumultuous times. This is my first time creating a similar product, ceramic. It feels as if something in me is finally complete.
I like the process of making ceramics. I like how life spawns out of the clay dough when my fingers exert pressure on it, turning it into coils and, finally, a product. I like feeling the cool surface of the clay when I hold it, the pulse pushing back when I squeeze it, and the texture when carvings are made. I like the intimacy ceramics give to the artist and the medium they lay hands on.
the making process of the piece
If any message is conveyed in this piece, it is connection. I was constantly inspired by the porcelains at home when making this piece. The shape, for example, came from the mythical lotus that frequently appeared in forms and depictions in Chinese antiquities, symbolising peace and clarity. The intricate layers were inspired by Lotus Cup with Sanskrit (shown on the left). The elements painted in blue underglaze were a homage to the blue and whites, the most elegant and classical type of porcelains in Chinese history. Its function, a censer to hold incense, traces back to my Buddhist background. By creating this piece, I was connecting with my devotion to ceramics antiques, my inspiration and religion; its spiritual nature connects to God a prayer’s wish, desire, fear, grief, and epiphanies.
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