FOREWORD

Soil, continuously used by humanity
It is an ancient material for cultivation and pottery
In modern times, it incorporates in ceramic art Through this contemporary exhibition
With artistic manipulation by artists
It brings about a fresh perspective, yet an intimate feeling

The Ceramics Festival and its contemporary exhibition is entitled ‘On Earth’ with the theme of ‘Nature’, revealing the intense relationship between ceramic artists, ceramic creations, clay and the nature. I invite artists to originate their ideas from ‘absolute and pure’, a close association with clay, to explore ceramic art’s purpose and possibilities in a contemporary context, the use of artwork to describe and reflect the relation between human and nature, human and culture, how we can give back to Nature.

Our civilization is being able to choose the land to inhabit, reflecting on the combination of nature and human wisdom. The symbiotic relationship between river and the soil on the banks depends on each other, breeds all living ecosystems, including human beings and all living organism’s life cycles. Clay material originates from the surface of Earth, its long historical value of being used from construction of ceramics objects and crafts to being used as a modern contemporary creative material. This exhibition is the accumulation of artist’s experience with the agile character of clay to express the mission and energy of the “On Earth” and “Nature”.

Friedensreich Hundertwasser, an Austrian artist once said, “An uneven and animated floor is the recovery of man’s mental equilibrium of the dignity of man which has been violated in our levelling, unnatural and hostile urban grid system. The uneven floor becomes a melody for the feet and brings back natural vibrations to man. It is good to walk on uneven floors and regain our human balance.” In the hands of an artist, the clay becomes a medium to convey concepts; the process of artistic creation becomes the creator’s self-cultivation. The meticulous action is akin to the awakening effect described by Hundertwasser, awakening the creator’s consciousness and feelings, interacting with materials, and meaningful works came into being.

In ‘Art as Therapy”, co-authors Alain de Botton and John Armstrong conveyed the idea that “Art can put us in touch with concentrated doses of our missing dispositions, and thereby restore a measure of equilibrium to our listing inner selves... Since we are not all missing the same things, the art that has a capacity to rebalance us, and therefore arouse our enthusiasm, will differ markedly... As life becomes more complex and artificial, as life is lived more indoors, the longing for a compensating natural simplicity gets stronger.” Since the era of modernization, industrial revolution and machine automation, it is easy to forget the peace and self-feeling that nature can provide us. Urban development and industrial production cause pollution and destruction to the environment, whilst, the rapid modernization process consumes extraordinary amount of natural resources. Gradually, inhabitants in cities are realizing the problems and impact, and the necessity on conversation of nature.

Artwork creation process consumes materials and impacts the environment. However, the artwork transforms materials into a visual message to connect with the audience. If this artwork can successfully convey messages of the importance of environmental conservation and sustainable rural coexistence, then can it offset the environmental impact on using the materials in the creation? This is a topic for further discussion.

The two main exhibitions of the Ceramics Festival, On Earth Contemporary Ceramic Exhibition and Exhibition of Lai Chi Wo On Earth Art Project galvanize the inspirations from natural resources and rural cultures upon artists. With a broad and diverse artwork disciplines as a medium, inviting everyone to employ Lai Chi Wo as an opportunity to begin the revelation of nature, comprehending the sustainable rural culture. Our intension is not to reverse our way of life back to the olden times, rather to participate together in the urban and rural coexistence. This exhibition aims to leverage ceramic art to connect and offer a comprehensive and profound view of nature, grateful to the precious resources and strength natures provided us in our lives.

Rachel Cheung

Curator of On Earth Ceramics Festival