Yinz Ceramic is a ceramic artist based in Daxi, Taoyuan. She creates quirky ceramic objects with her hands, unique in that every picture and pattern on her pieces are made from dyed clay.
Yinz Ceramic
We asked her some questions about her work...
How long have you been making pottery? And what lead you to start working with clay?
I have been making pottery for three years now. Because of my family, clay has always been a medium that I have been exposed to. I cannot recall a specific starting point; my father is particularly interested in ceramics so my curiosity of clay just grew naturally. I like how clay is
a very direct medium. I like the feeling that the dry clay can be remoulded after adding more water. I especially enjoy the touch of it; it’s wet and sticky feel. I also like the fact that clay is very fragile.
How would you define your style of pottery and how has it developed over time?
I don’t think I can clearly define my own style yet. The time that I have been making pottery is not long enough as I am still at the beginning stage. I find my work quiet, but interesting, leaving some traces to tell a story without involving too many emotions. I am still exploring subtle meanings in my work.
Pottery is one of the oldest human inventions, how important do you view the act of creating handmade items in the 21st century?
It is important for me to focus on the present and create something with my hands, but this is a very personal thing. What kind of high-tech will appear in the ever-changing 21st century? I don’t really like to think about it. Will hand crafts leave or disappear? Even though pottery is one of the oldest inventions of mankind, the species of human beings is still very new to the earth, so using your hands does still exist, but the future survival will be like a dinosaur…I don't know what will happen. But what I do know, is that pottery is very important to me.
Whose ceramic work do you admire the most? What do you feel makes an excellent piece of pottery?
Choosing a favourite is very hard, but I really like the work of Li YaWen, Sen Ning pottery, Klara Kristalova, Sugiura Yasuyoshi, and Munemi Yorigami. Recently I have found the work of Ruth Asawa fascinating. Although her pieces are not ceramics, I really like the intricacy of her sculptures, how their sinuous form connect the inside and outside space around each sculpture while allowing air and light to pass through the beautiful shapes she creates. What is a good pottery? If it is practical, it is to think about how others will use it. If it is not a practical pottery piece, then you can do whatever you want.