Lin Jiaxin’s impression of the wholesale fabric business in Sham Shui Po was only refreshed in August this year when she participated in a pottery exhibition on Tai Nan Street. The trendy gallery and cafe are interspersed, exuding various youthful vibes. The unique sense of community life has greatly inspired Jiaxin’s artistic creation.
After being favored by the public, Lin Jiaxin, the acclaimed actress, has found a new passion in pottery. She is even willing to dedicate her life to it, as evidenced by the special exhibition that will be held for her as a pottery artist. In June of next year, Lin Jiaxin will collaborate with Taiwanese floral artist Liao Haozhe to hold a flower vessel exhibition. She recalls how she simply sent an invitation through Instagram direct message to Liao Haozhe, and the way they handle things is just as down-to-earth. Lin Jiaxin is now both a celebrated actress and an ordinary person at the same time.
Progressive slow living craftsmanship
The Lin Jiayin we know has never been sheltered by the aura of academia, but she surpasses technique with her unique acting skills. She learns while doing, although she may not have the wild and unrestrained nature of a wild horse. But because Jiayin is naturally impatient, her quick thinking and immediate actions are like a lightning strike, rushing to get things done.
Before, when she learned that there was a filming gap, she immediately set off for the pottery village of Kasama in Hitachi, Japan. In this mountainous area that requires a 4-hour flight and a 3-hour car journey, she found a secluded corner in the residence of her good friend and pottery artist, Mr. Ega, and observed his daily habits while pulling clay for 11 days under the guidance of her teacher.
Further reading:
- Capture the city landscape and stories! Local picture book artist Mao Shan’s solo exhibition unfolds at Parallel Space
- The latest exhibition at Tai Kwun: “Green Snake: Ecology at the Center of Women”, exploring the connection between art and ecology
- Atsuro Tayama collaborates with French painter Raoul Dufy, bringing landscape paintings into the wardrobe
“There must be a difference in technique between those who have studied ceramics and those who have not. For example, Picasso only started to explore pottery in the last 20 years of his life. Facing a material he was unfamiliar with, he had to learn on the job. Even when it came to glazing and firing, the final colors of the finished pieces were always beyond his expectations. As for me, I don’t mass-produce ceramics. My purpose is simply to use pottery to express my inner world. I am willing to overlook the slight imperfections in technique, those few millimeters of difference, without counting them.”
Looking back, due to the pandemic, I took over the responsibility of picking up and dropping off my daughter, who has been studying pottery for 3 years. During class, she would sometimes waste time and unknowingly started playing with clay. It was fine at first, but she unexpectedly became obsessed with the texture of clay, and her passion for it became unstoppable. She truly embodied the meaning of being “deeply immersed in clay”. “Clay has memories, it reflects the emotions, memories, and thoughts of the artist, just like how drama carries a certain connection. After all, I am not the one controlling the clay, we are in a relationship of communication and listening, an action and reaction.”
Listening to Jiaxin’s words about pottery, even a layman like me was completely captivated. But pottery also has its unfriendly moments, and that kind of resonance is not difficult to understand, especially if you have a girlfriend who is easily temperamental… “If you like pottery, you must also accept its unpredictable aspects. There are many failures in the process of pottery making, maybe the texture is not smooth, or maybe you are not fully focused at the moment, and so on. Which hobby in the world encourages you to ‘make mistakes’? But pottery accepts your continuous mistakes. When you first start learning ceramics, even if you know it’s a failure, all you think is ‘I’ve worked so hard to shape it, I must fire it!’ You always refuse to accept failure. But now, there is no attachment to failed works. Whether smashing them or recycling them, they can be used as ceramic tiles or for making mosaics, absolutely no waste.” Anything related to fire is destined to be uncontrollable. What Jiaxin has deeply experienced through pottery is that the more you don’t allow yourself to make mistakes, the more you will never comprehend the inspiration contained within those mistakes.
Sometimes fast, sometimes slow
Lin Jiaxin’s pottery studio does not have Wi-Fi, and it is also difficult to receive phone calls. It is hard to imagine being in the hustle and bustle of the city and still be able to practice isolation from the world. “Hong Kong’s lifestyle is fast-paced and hectic, but it is actually a good place to train one’s mind. If you want to meditate, choose to go to a place with a slower pace. Development will then come naturally. However, seeking slowness within the fast pace will yield more noticeable results.”
In recent years, Karena Lam has organized several ceramic art exhibitions, with locations in Po Hing Fong, Sheung Wan, Tai Nan Street, Sham Shui Po, and Shu Kuk Street, Tai Hang. These locations embody the typical Hong Kong sentiment, giving ceramics a sense of human warmth and purity. “I have a strong connection to entering communities. Old neighborhoods are full of human touch. Even before you have a chance to sit down, your neighbors will offer you a cup of hot milk tea and say, ‘Please have a drink!’ Making tableware and utensils is a part of life. Whether I am acting or making ceramics, it is a form of self-expression and observation. The community can give you the most genuine response. Art is not a profound discipline. For example, a plastic glove hanging on a broom in a small alley in Sham Shui Po, or a overturned trash can, you can easily call it installation art. Whichever one makes us willing to pay attention to it, that could be considered art.” Karena Lam does not aspire to be an artist, especially since her ceramics are often created to serve the everyday lives of ordinary people. By the way, all proceeds from the sale of ceramics from her personal brand, Ceramics by Karena Lam, are donated to Hong Kong charitable organizations after deducting costs.
Fingers have eyes.
For the past 4 years of studying pottery, it’s not hard to imagine how a pair of delicate hands have become the skilled and slightly scarred hands of a ceramic artist today. Among the experiences of kneading clay, what surprises Jiaxin is that her hands have opened up another sensory experience of acting. “I feel like there are even eyes on my fingertips.” Jiaxin, who has acted in “Parallel Space,” says… “In the past, my identity was an actress, and no matter how many years I’ve been involved in theater and acting, I’ve always been exploring what kind of work it is. Actually, actors can be quite intangible. In situations where I’m communicating with foreign artists, I can’t just ‘perform a play’ on the spot for them to experience my work, right? But since I started making ceramics, it has become a tangible form of creation, something I can touch, weigh, and use, which feels more solid.” Jiaxin admits that pottery has become a part of her life, even to the point where her daughter asks her, “Do you love me more or do you love ceramics more?”
These difficult challenges are like jumping through hoops, and can only be dealt with in a hasty and vague manner. What choices are more difficult than those that make your palms and the back of your hands sweat? Acting and pottery are the same. Because Jiaxin sees herself as a constantly evolving person, she is unwilling to stay in a certain stage of herself. Even though she has a strong passion for acting and pottery, there are many parts that she cannot satisfy. The more unsatisfied she is, the more hungry she becomes. She jokingly says that her colleagues probably have calloused ears from hearing her talk about pottery so much! But she herself is always unsatisfied, always looking forward to new things, new projects, new roles, or new ceramic exhibitions.
Executive Producer: Angus Mok
Photographer: Leung Mo
Art Direction: Leung Mo & Mimi Kong
Styling: Mimi Kong assisted by Candice Yu
Videographer: Kason Tam & Alvin Kong
Video Edit: Kason Tam & Alvin Kong
Interview: Ms. A
Makeup: Will Wong
Hair: Kristy Cheung & Ricky Lam
Wardrobe: Louis Vuitton
