In the past couple of months, I developed an unhealthy obsession with ceramic art. It began when I discovered one or two Instagram accounts, a Japanese artist called Yuta Segawa who makes miniature porcelain vases, and a British artist called Kat Evans who creates formless stoneware sculptures, which look like they come from the world of H.R. Giger. Ceramic art possesses an allure that is not to be taken lightly.
During the Lunar New Year break, I took a leap of faith and headed to Yingge, a town on the outskirts of Taipei, for a pottery class. While my first throw was not a great success, I did learn a lot from talking with the international artists in residence at Yingge Ceramics Academy. They have a small, red brick studio at the back of the sculpture park in New Taipei City Yingge Ceramics Museum, which is open to visitors of the museum.
The artists in residence program at Yingge Ceramics Academy began back in 2009. In total, the project has brought 77 ceramic artists to Yingge; each for a three month residency where they create artworks for the museum’s collection. The program facilitates cultural exchange within the Taiwanese ceramic art community, bringing international recognition to the museum and it’s academy.
I met with two of the current artists in residence, Janina Myronova and Kamonchanok Panuwed (May), for a fireside chat about their pottery experiences in Taiwan.
In October this year, Yingge Ceramics Museum plays host to the 2018 Congress of the International Academy of Ceramics, during the museum’s annual Taiwan Ceramics Biennale (Humanistic Return: The Spiritual Origin of Ceramic Art) that opens on September 7. Along with public discussions and talks, there will be several exhibitions around Yingge, all centered on the Congress’ theme (New Orientalia: Functionality, Spirituality, Diversity). Find out more at the website: http://new-taipei-city2018.aic-iac.org/en/about/
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Spirited Away to Taipei — Kamonchanok Panuwed
Kamonchanok Panuwed (May) is artist in residence at Yingge Ceramics Academy in the New Taipei City Yingge Ceramics Museum. Until April, you can visit the studio and see what she has created during her past few months in Taiwan. You can also check out May’s work at her Facebook page: www.facebook.com/MayandClayCeramicsStudio
Hi May, thank you for taking the time to talk with us. Has this residency enabled you to work in a different way to how you worked before?
Yes, I have a brand called May&Clay, which is all about my smaller ceramic pieces. During this residency, I have been able to work in a more sculptural way, and on a larger scale. I have really enjoyed it and I dreamt to do this for a long time.
Where did you learn to make ceramics?
I studied ceramic art at Kangen University, which is a two hour flight from Bangkok, in the northeast of Thailand. I graduated back in 2010. Now, I live in Kangen and I am part of a consignment store in Bangkok. I often go to Bangkok for exhibitions and I keep in touch with everyone through the store.
What is the ceramic scene like in Bangkok?
There are a lot of artists. Only three of my school mates continued to work in ceramics after graduation, but I also have other friends in the Bangkok ceramic scene.
Who are your idols and inspirations?
Vipu Srivilasa, a Thai ceramic artist based in Australia. Also the Russian surrealist, Sergei Isupov. I like animation by Studio Ghibli. I love all of his movies, especially Spirited Away. I have been to Jiufen [the village near Taipei, which is said to be the setting of Spirited Away] two times.
Is that why you came to Taiwan?
Actually this is my fourth time in Taiwan. I am really interested in the nature, and Taiwanese people. So I started from here; this is my first time to be an artist in residence.
Can you tell us about your work in Taiwan?
This collection is inspired by Taiwan’s nature and my surroundings. One of my sculptures is about the wind because this town [Yingge] is very windy. Another is about earthquakes. In Thailand we don’t have earthquakes. Yesterday there was a very strong one and they happen a lot.
How does the ceramic scene in Taiwan compare to the ceramic scene in Thailand?
The techniques are the same, but our cultures and traditions make us different. Here [in Taiwan] the teapot is important and they make very nice tea ware. I use a coiling technique and I met a Taiwanese ceramic artist called Lu Shu-Jen who uses a similar technique. She makes sculptures of her pet dogs at her mountainside studio near the sea.
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Pottery Dolls of Yingge — Janina Myronova
Janina Myronova is artist in residence at Yingge Ceramics Academy in the New Taipei City Yingge Ceramics Museum. Until April, you can visit the studio and see what she has created during her past few months in Taiwan. You can also check out Myronova’s work at her website: www.janinamyronova.com
Hi Janina, thank you for taking the time to talk with us. How did you get into ceramics?
My adventure with ceramics began in Ukraine. I was born in Donetsk, and I graduated from the department of Ceramic Art at the National Academy of Fine Arts in Lviv. I started [ceramics] when I was 15. Since 2002 until now, I have been making ceramics. Around six years ago I moved to Poland, where I studied my second masters degree at the Polish Eugeniusz Geppert Academy of Fine Arts in Wroclaw. Currently, I am studying for a PhD at the same academy in Poland.
Why are you doing the residency at Yingge Ceramics Museum?
I took part in the 2016 Taiwan Ceramics Biennale, then I heard that I could apply for this residency. I couldn’t do it in 2016 because of my studies, but now I am more flexible so I can take part in different residencies. I am starting with Taiwan then in September I will go to Korea for three months, to the Clay Art Gimhae Museum. In September and October, I will come back to Yingge for the Ceramics Biennale, and the 2018 Congress of the International Academy of Ceramics. I have been a member since 2017, and there will be a ceremony for new members. In the IAC, there is only one representative from Ukraine, and I am one of only four from Poland.
Has your residency in Taiwan been successful?
Yes. Before, I always went to ceramics symposiums. I have participated in around 30 different countries, such as Georgia, Egypt, Croatia, Lithuania, and Denmark. Now is my first time for residency. Symposiums are usually for just two weeks. You come mostly to talk with other artists about your work, but in two weeks you cannot make any works. Here I can really focus on the project, and three months is enough time to understand culture, prove your quality, and meet artists from Taiwan. I feel very welcomed here.
How do you make your sculptures?
There are different ways to make ceramics, for example casting or making with coils. I choose slab building because, for me, it is a quick technique and I enjoy the art of construction. It is a bit like making a cake. I prepare a big slab [of clay] and cut it into pieces of five or ten centimeters, and my sculptures grow from there. I like to control the shape by slab, so sometimes I have to cut and add one piece, or cut and make it smaller. I think my forms are made for this technique. They are hollow [not solid] because I like them to be light so I can carry them by myself.
Is all your work about the human figure?
Yes, all my sculptures are figures of people, or sometimes animals, the relationship between people and animals, but now people are my main inspiration. For example, in the project I have been making during this residency, I concentrated on children. I studied the children here [in Taiwan], how they look, and what they wear. Sometimes I feel like they are very unusual, wearing a warm coat with just slippers on a rainy day. Also their hairstyles; I like when the girls cut a very straight fringe, and tie their hair into mini pigtails. I tried to capture some of their special characteristics.
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