Pottery: Beyond Texture—A Cross-Disciplinary Medium of Innovation

August 24, 2022

In recent years, creators from diverse backgrounds have entered the field of ceramics, continually broadening its horizons with unique expressions. The European Ceramic Work Centre (EKWC) in the Netherlands is particularly known for welcoming creators from non-traditional ceramic disciplines, providing excellent facilities and technical support to facilitate experimental approaches to ceramics. This lecture invites three artists from distinct creative backgrounds who have chosen ceramics as their medium of practice. Drawing on their residency experiences, they will share innovative perspectives on how ceramics, through its techniques, mindset, and contextual applications, can inspire creators across cultural domains, while also reflecting on how the medium engages with local contexts.

Chen Hsiang-Jung, a ceramic artist whose journey began in London, often juxtaposes his ceramic works with objects made from other materials. The contrasts between ceramics and these other elements enhance their respective qualities, with arrangements, additions, and subtractions forming compositions that seek harmony. His works oscillate between two-dimensional and three-dimensional forms, creating visual dissonance that adds intrigue and a surreal quality. Detached from their referential meanings, his creations become pure explorations of form and colour.

Yen Yu-Ting, an artist with a background in ink painting, incorporates carefully constructed themes of futility, imbalance, and at times sensuality into her paintings and ceramic pieces. After her 2019 residency at EKWC, she began self-studying ceramic techniques and history. Her 2021 exhibition The House of Uselessness featured an array of ceramic homeware and ambiguous functional objects, striking a delicate balance between humour and practicality.

Chia Hsün-Ning, a graduate of the Industrial Product Design programme at Shih Chien University, draws inspiration from her upbringing in Taitung, which nurtured her deep connection to land, craftsmanship, and raw materials. Her project Fibered Ceramic integrates her industrial design background with natural materials, using plant fibres to form ceramics in a unique process. This experimental approach explores new possibilities within ceramic techniques, creating works that draw from and give back to nature and the earth.

The Fruit Shop
Yeen Studio
Hsun Ning Chia
YC Chen

Planned and co-organized by pong ding︎︎︎.
Opening song remix: Xíng︎︎︎.
Published: August 8, 2022. Last Updated: August 16, 2022.