Vascape: a Visual Exploration of Pottery

About the Project

I received the Benenson Art Award for my visual art project called Vascape and used the funding for pottery classes and studio access. Vascape is the idea of using vases to represent landscapes or cityscapes. Ceramic vases, especially those made on a wheel, have a complex relationship with the environment. On one hand, vases are stable and tranquil, qualities similar to rocks and landscapes. On the other hand, wheel-thrown ceramics are highly symmetrical, which gives an artificial feeling like buildings and cityscapes. I found this relationship fascinating. Just as humans turn clay, a natural element, into pottery, humans also make an impact on the natural environment.

I started exploring the idea of Vascape by making drawings. Using pencil and ink brush, I blended vases into 2D Chinese landscape drawings. Then I got the idea of learning wheel-throwing to generate inspiration for better presenting Vascape. Wheel-throwing is extremely hard for beginners. I realized that behind the way teachers handle clay so effortlessly is their understanding of speed, strength, balance, and peace. During the class, I also kept taking notes on my exploration and continually sketching. My pottery skills grew a lot as well. At the beginning, I couldn’t make a vessel symmetrical or tall, but by the end, I was able to make an actual vase.

After the class, I continued going to the studio and experimenting with clay and glaze. The changing colors of glaze, the textures of wet and dry clay, and more kept inspiring me to further develop Vascape. It’s hard to master wheel-throwing in three months, but this valuable experience enabled me to explore this new medium and integrate it into drawing and other media that I’m more familiar with.

This project is still ongoing with my growing interest in digital modeling and augmented reality. I found the process of 3D modeling extremely precise, almost like a digital version of wheel-throwing. I also attempted to place massive virtual vases into real-life environments, creating a dialogue with the surrounding buildings.