By Degrees ceramics exhibition / L5-23 Unit Gallery, Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre, Hong Kong
January 11-26, 2014
Ceramics has come a long way since its’ humble beginnings as crude decorations and simple pottery wares thousands of years ago. It has evolved to become an important medium within the world of the Fine and Decorative Arts whereby its’ previous boundaries are constantly being pushed and our perceptions challenged.
In learning how to make ceramics there are no short cuts however and the techniques and skills still have to be mastered step by step, and by degrees. This exhibition brings together the six students of The Hong Kong Art School after completing the first year of their BA in Fine Art (Ceramics). Using hand building techniques and wheel thrown work they endeavor to explore various different themes within Contemporary Ceramics some of which include minimalism, eternity and social issues. This is their inaugural exhibition together.
Exhibited artists:
Ryan Cheng, Weight Never Sleeps, 2013, Stoneware (Black Mountain – partly glazed), 16x9x30 cm.
Ryan Cheng
Clay is a very natural and organic medium to work with. It lends itself well to manipulation on a human scale. It requires no specialized tools or incredible strength and is a pleasure to work with using just your bare hands. In my work I enjoy exploring the strengths and limits of the clay, and I try to use this ancient material to create objects in context with modernity.
Renita Cheung, Live as One, 2013, Unglazed Porcelain, Stoneware mixed with Oxides, 36x36x60 cm.
Renita Cheung
Diversity is a natural phenomenon in nature and gives the world variety and beauty. Such a beauty also exists in mankind as we have different characteristics such as color and culture. But for us to live together peacefully without discrimination, war and terrorism requires awareness from all the human races to appreciate and accept differences.
In the work ‘Live as One’, I invite tenants of the earth to appreciate and respect differences between human races in order to sustain peace. Mountains of different characteristics are used to represent people from different culture as well as their hardiness to be moved. But all dreams start with imagination. I hope someday you will join the line.
Janice Ng, Infinity, 2013, Porcelain and Stoneware (unglazed), Size variable.
Janice Ng
I am inspired by ceramic artists such as Eva Hild and Walter Dam and became interested in the flow and movement of forms. With the combination of extrusion technique, I build some angular tubs, and the development starts from free standing distorted tubes to additional force and movements.
The extrusion resembles the birth of living beings, the clay being used would be the origin while the twist and pressure added afterward would symbolize the experiences and crisis the piece had gone through along the growth. Twisted movement is applied since the DNA link of living being in spiral form, it gives signs of the power of life.
Caroline Sharkey, Antiquated, 2013, Stoneware (partly glazed), 20x28x6 cm.
Caroline Sharkey
Perhaps it is because I have moved to a different country and read world news online now or perhaps it is because reporting has increased but I am truly shocked at how many reports of women being raped worldwide happen.
My work is inspired by the victim blaming that occurs in relation to rape and the reasons given by men as an excuse as to why they rape. It is also an overlap between Moses and the Commandments (stone tablets) given by God towards living an ethical and moral life. They are hand built, fired to 1260 degrees and presented in a colourful childlike way. I intend to smash these after the exhibition!
Cecilia Tso, It is, it is not, 2013, White Stoneware (unglazed), 30x16x12 cm.
Cecilia Tso
Moore’s paradox says that the fact and your belief could be contradicting to each other, but make logical sense even though it is absurd. In my work, I am trying to make something that you believe it is something but in fact it is not. The missing parts intensify the ambiguity of the object, leaving more room for imagination.
Vienna Young, My Toy Story, 2013, Glazed Stoneware, Size variable.
Vienna Young
What is the most popular toy nowadays? Doubtless, it should be the iPhone, which is the most effective tool in human history to get a toddler’s attention and mollify their emotion. It is not surprised to see a child down to 2 years old holding an iPhone and pressing on the monitor excitedly. Every time when I see them, I will miss the toys in my childhood. They accompanied me to grow up and helped me to learn about this world. Toys are the friends in everyone’s childhood. They carry lots of memory and record many precious moments. They gave me different senses of stimulation with sound, colors and textures but not just a monitor like iPhone. I do not believe iPhone or other electronic devices can replace their roles.
In my work, I play with different forms and colors. The round bottom makes me think of rocking horses and roly-poly toys. Numerous sharp colors provide a strong visual perception. Multiple tiny ceramics balls inside the enclosed part attract the audience to pick them up and play with the sound.
Gallery hours: Saturdays and Sundays only, 1:00 – 6:30 PM.
CONTACT
Rachel Cheung, unit.gallery@yahoo.com.hk
Tel. 9453 1626
L5-23 Unit Gallery
L5-23, Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre (JCCAC)
Shek Kip Mei, Kowloon. (MTR Exit C)
Hong Kong
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