China Unbound @ David Kaye Gallery

David Kaye presented my first solo exhibition in Toronto fromApril 2-26, 2015. The works came from and out of my experience of working in Jingdezhen, China the Pottery Workshop in the spring of 2013.

I work in two different palettes or “ideascapes”: tonal and primal. The tonal draws on the variegated hues of raw clay bodies, while the primal is based on the colour-wheel’s saturated pigments. My shapes also draw on two opposing ideas: linear curves and basic solid three-dimensional forms; bands of thrown and altered clay, coaxed into kinetic rhythm versus foundational geometry.

China Bound is a series of work that reflects the duality of China that I experienced during my artist residency in Jingdezhen, 2013. Much of the country seems intent on aspiring to hyper-capitalism, while at the same time the soul of the country - its tradition - refuses to be quashed. In this series I try to capture what I believe to be at the core of this duality. Placing the forms in asymmetry at the centre of the altered vessels speaks to the caveats placed on freedom and innovation, where tradition is encircled and bursting with new energy.

Mimesis While in Denmark at Guldagergaard Centre for Ceramic Research in the fall of 2014, I started to make my first complex moulds. My objective was to reframe both the individual and society through abstract portraiture, using the vocabulary I developed in China. I aim to challenge us to examine the varied facets of our lives within the context of social responsibility.

Reaching is a technical and intentional extension of a “mistake” that occurred in Denmark. The series of work, though playful, comments on western society’s craving for constant momentum - always striving for something more.

Chi is a series of work that has its genesis in my own 18-year transformative journey through the practice of tai chi chuan and chi qong. I designed the original forms upon which the moulds of the yin yang and bagua base were made and worked with the craftsmen in Jingdezhen China who fashioned the pieces. Chi is the energy, the life force in each of us.

Essence is the beginning of new work where I move from the macro to the micro, focusing on “soul sketches” of an individual, finding the movement and spectrum of their inner voice.

SOLO SHOW TORONTO CHINA UNBOUND

Opening Saturday April 11th, 2-4pm at David Kaye Gallery, North/West corner Queen St. W. and Dovercourt (entrance ON Dovercourt – next to Starbucks).

April 2-26th, 2015

I continue to work through the profound insights I had in China 2013 regarding the abstraction of identity, culture and aspects of society. Work shown will be recent bodies of work, work from my residency in Denmark (November 2014) and work from China. I am asking the public to consider different facets of their lives through the work, considering how each and every one of us can contribute to society in meaningful ways.

Life in Balance at Gallery 1313

I am thrilled to have been selected to participate in Gallery 1313 Emerging Artist Summer Exhibition -(July 10-20) Rwa Bineda Artist Statement (created in Bali August 2013)

Each instant carries with it a multitude of possibilities. We are bombarded by choice at every turn, and yet we tend to ignore the natural undercurrent of the rhythm of life. In Balinese culture I observed a pervasive sense of respect for the importance of the constant dialogue between good and evil. Balinese philosophy describes this ongoing play between opposing forces as “Rwa Bineda.” Many of the core themes in my work reflect back similar notions of duality: fragility and strength; static motion; yearning, submission and ultimately transcendence. Traditionally the Balinese depict Rwa Bineda in black/white and/or red checked patterned cloth. I chose to use the static motion of closed wheel-thrown loops. Life itself is an experiment – its twists and turns – and am coming to understand that balance is not an unattainable ideal, but an imperfect state of being that just happens one moment at a time.

Churning: Transcending Material at NCECA 2014

Hi all – thanks to everyone who came out to NCECA in Milwaukee and checked out the Potter’s Council Juried Members’ show in the exhibition hall. I had some great feedback, really appreciate the support. It was a wild time! And thanks also to the Ontario Arts Council for supporting the transport of the work and for allowing me the opportunity to promote the work onsite.

Balancing Act…

Here’s the artist statement for my solo show that ends my residency at Gaya – it’s been great, when I start to think about all the creative leaps and bounds, discoveries, learnings – I can’t wait to get back into the studio and start working again…

Each instant carries with it a multitude of possibilities. We are bombarded by choice at every turn, and yet we tend to ignore the natural undercurrent of the rhythm of life. In Balinese culture I have observed a pervasive sense of respect for the importance of the constant dialogue between good and evil. Balinese philosophy describes this ongoing play between opposing forces as “Rwa Bineda.” Many of the core themes in my work reflect similar notions of duality: fragility and strength; static motion; yearning, submission and ultimately transcendence. The varied work in this exhibition is inspired by my recent sojourn in Jingdezhen, China’s porcelain capital, my time at Gaya in Bali, and my own life’s twists and turns. I am just beginning to grasp the notion of “Rwa Bineda,” as I come to understand that balance is not an unattainable ideal, but an imperfect state of being that just happens one moment at a time.

In the Loop Install

I’m thrilled to be showing with this stellar group of artists at the Living Arts Centre – I felt elated to be able to realize the hanging piece I had started at Sheridan – and add to it conceptually, where the pieces hanging are the distillation of my self as a “white” person having grown up in brown skin. Stay tuned for the psa re reception to see the work.