FANG ZHAO CERAMICS

My practice as a ceramicist seeks to communicate international ideals through sculpture and functional pottery. Working from thematic sketches, I experiment to explore materials, form and surface decoration. My work is inspired by my Chinese background, particularly my interest in traditional Chinese mountain painting. I use organic mountain shapes as a metaphor to examine my personal life journey. Laozi, the founder of Tao philosophy, stated that, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Working with clay enables me to maintain a balance and harmony. Ceramic is a medium through which I express the difficulties and challenges of everyday life. A journey always start by a step, what may seem to be a circle, and one may end back at the starting point, as life is not easy. My main pieces of work focus on mountain form to give the meaning of different challenging in everyday life.  These simple forms and personal expressions in space signify the passage of time, likening the ups and downs of life to the process of climbing mountains. All this becomes clear when we can see things through the processes of life.  In this way, my work seeks to synthesise traditional and modern aesthetics in order to situate a conceptualisation of the relationship between culture and the natural world.