The Breath
by Wei Cheng
Wei Cheng
Born and raised in China, Wei Cheng now lives and dedicates her art practice in Vancouver, BC. She earned her art education from Emily Carr University of Art and Design, where she learns to appreciate the ceramic medium. She has been a resident artist at Alferd, Jingdezhen, and Yixin pottery center, and her professional practice has also taken her to States and Europe. Her work has been exhibited extensively in solo and group exhibitions in both national and international venues.
Yumeng Li
A Vancouver-based curator. Graduated from Simon Fraser University with a BA. She has experience curating installation and painting exhibitions for the past of years. She has curatorial interests including immersive and video interactive exhibitions that celebrate interaction and art and technology.
The Exhibition
Pottery, the product of ancient ancestors who mastered the use of fire, is among the early creations of mankind.
While satisfying the functionality, subsequent embellishments such as rope patterns and decorations also decorate daily life.
Once a functional ware has been used, its state provides evidence of the owners’ lifestyle back then and gives us a peek as to how they used functional wares.
This is a narration from ancient times, a language that has not changed, it is with us silently in everyday life.
Wei Cheng, an artist who has been engaged in pottery creation for many years, observes life and uses practical objects as an entry point to dig out the root of beauty and establish the connection between beauty and practicality to the greatest extent. The works present her thinking and expression of life, as well as her self-reflection. From the selection of clay, the combination of glazes, and the consideration of firing methods, each creation reflects a dialogue within herself, and of her current state-of-being.
The transition from clay to an object is resilient, having been beaten, kneaded, shaped and the excess trimmed off; it requires patience, waiting to evaporate from clay, waiting for the firewood to burn, waiting for the object to cure in the kiln, and then waiting to cool off. When it comes out of the kiln, they have a new appearance. The natural and undetermined sheen from different angles, the random appearance of fire marks and the gradient of color make it unique. A person can use this as a connection point to expand into their own past, rebirth after setbacks, and calmness after waiting. The current characteristics of the individual are all experiences of life.
To observe the object is to observe oneself.
As Mr. Yutang Lin said: "The temperament of the Chinese people is often placed in those functional wares." Experience the comfort of using functional wares every time as a carrier to let us and our lives return to their original state of inner peace and serenity.
