Page 37 - Winter Issue

Can you describe the significance of the tripod form in your art and how you relate it to femininity and
female embodiment?
I believe it’s the cultural significance of the shape that I want to share. Tripod vessels are highly representative in Chinese
culture. Firstly, tripod pottery was popular in northern China during the late Neolithic period (c. 3000 BCE), and this
tripod characteristic was inherited by bronze ritual vessels from the Shang Dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BCE). By the Song
Dynasty (c. 960–1279 CE), this shape became common in the design of incense burners. There has always been a
connection between this shape and ritual vessels.
From a design perspective, I have noticed that the more primitive tripod shape somewhat resembles the curves of
female breasts, and I emphasize this feature. I enjoy incorporating elements of femininity into my work.
In your mushroom-inspired vessel, you incorporate a lava glaze that’s untouchable and fragile. How do
you see this detail contributing to the piece’s ritualistic feel?
Lava glaze is very fragile and possesses an untouchable quality, creating a sense of distance between the object and the
viewer. I apply this glaze only to the interior of the containers, establishing a relationship between people and the object
that is characterized by both closeness and distance. This dynamic mirrors the relationship between humans and
nature.
You’ve expressed a fascination with ceremonial vessels, such as those used for incense burning. How does
the concept of ritual influence your work, and what role do you believe art plays in creating new rituals?
I am fascinated by rituals because they often carry associations with spirituality and mystery. Rituals depend on their
cultural context and era; while we cannot truly recreate certain rituals, we can reproduce and reconstruct the objects
associated with them. In fact, museums and archaeologists sometimes play a similar role by removing objects from their
original context and placing them in display cases or in people's homes.
I am unsure whether art can create new rituals, but it primarily attracts people to observe. In modern times, people can
view a wide array of objects from around the world and throughout human history, while artists continue to create
more captivating items. This suggests that the act of viewing itself may evolve into a new form of ritual.
How do you decide which aspects of femininity or identity to incorporate, and what effect do you hope
these choices have on the viewer?
I think the essence of these symbolic meanings is to express the beauty of the female body. I appreciate and resonate
with these beautiful qualities, and I aim to convey them to the audience through my work. I choose elements that are
either similar in shape to the artwork itself or thematically aligned.

Organic Container
The form is inspired by stinkhorn mushrooms (Clathrus ruber), with its root reimagined as a vessel. Using ancient hand-building ceramic techniques, I aim
for this vessel to evoke a sense of ritual significance. The internal lava glaze is fragile and untouchable, filling the inner space like a living entity.

Emergence

Glazed stoneware,
30x23x23cm, 2024

Expansion Glazed stoneware, 30x22x22cm (excluding base), 2024

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