When you think of clay, do you first think of gray-brown mud? Have you ever thought that they can also be turned into exquisite works of art? Many people think that the possibilities of clay are limited to making tableware or utensils, but local artist Kate Pong sees clay as a medium for artistic creation. By hand-molding clay and hand-painting on canvas, she transforms various thoughts floating in dreams during the epidemic period into three-dimensional works, opening up new horizons for people!
The exhibition is named “Contemplative Clay” because for the artist, working with clay is a process of self-healing. Especially during the past year of the pandemic, society has been filled with a gloomy atmosphere, and creating art gives her a calm and soothing space.
Kate was a fondant cake designer before she started working with clay. Her past creations of three-dimensional cakes featuring flowers and goldfish were highly popular. In order to explore more creative avenues, she began to focus on studying clay craftsmanship. This art form also requires skilled hands, similar to cake making, allowing her existing skills to be applied creatively in the world of clay art.
The process of making pottery is time-consuming, emphasizing the creator’s patience, and Kate is personally involved in every step. In the works exhibited this time, each piece of pottery is shaped, air-dried, colored, and pasted by her personally, making the works full of the creator’s warmth. The colors on the canvas are also painted by her hand, and the canvas and pottery are matched with “Japanese-style” color tones, making the pottery works stand out in contrast to the strong background colors, highlighting the exquisite craftsmanship.
The works are divided into several series such as “Four Seasons,” “Moon Phases,” “Daydreams,” and “Goldfish.” “Four Seasons” presents the changing seasons through clouds in four sets of colors; “Moon Phases” is inspired by a lunar eclipse process, from moonrise, to waning, to full moon, embodying the gentleness of the moon and the solemnity of its light and shadow changes; “Daydreams” showcases the artist’s creative fantasies from within; and the “Goldfish” series presents the leisurely posture of fish in a hazy silhouette.
From nothingness to three-dimensionality, clay has become the carrier of the artist’s thoughts and emotions. You may feel how she uses her skilled hands to turn ordinary clay into creative ceramic art through a series of works by the artist.
Learn more: Kate Pong Personal Website
