1. Any title preference for the exhibition? Such as '2010 Ceramics Show', 'Why Still Clay?', 'Clay In/Clay Out', 'Decennium', 'Show Clay', 'ClayStudy' or any other suggestion? In Chinese and English both or either.

- 翻譯：Clay In/Clay Out土來土去2010 Ceramics Show廿十陶瓷回顧展Decennium, Show Clay拾泥展ClayStudy缸瓦記錄冊

- Why Still Clay

- Clay Life - a new suggestion. could be life with clay or life of clay…
- Decennium – it’s basically what brings us together. We tend to celebrate 10, 15, 20…

- ‘Decennium’ is my first choice; ‘Why Still Clay’ is the second;
another suggestion: ‘Clayground’ - a crossover word of Clay+playground

- Loving Clay ~ 2010 Ceramics Show

- Clay In/Clay Out …. 土來土去

- ‘Show Clay', and 'ClayStudy' are quite interesting.

- Clay In/Clay Out

- I prefer ‘2010 Ceramic Show’

- I prefer ‘Decennium’.

- Any vocabulary/phrase/sentence describe the nature of clay, I think of “Plasticity” that seem echo to my life as a (part-time) ceramist. I try out the possibilities of clay as I work out my life to see the plasticity of myself (e.g. I tried an unfamiliar media, clay, to start my art journey.)
泥本身的可塑性就如我們本身的潛能，看捏造泥的時間如何，那就如何，泥本身很能反映出來。

- i think the title "why clay?" is good



2. Why using clay as a medium? Any particular intention or simply personal preference or other reasons? Please elaborate.

- 老媽說陶瓷"起碼"可以用來吃飯，比繪畫甚麼的實際多了

- Clay lets me concentrate on myself and I enjoy the mindfulness of being.

- Personal preference. Feel good working with clay, very effective to
help me release stress. Other media I tried can’t give me the same feeling.

- Clay to me is a faithful partner. It frankly exhibits what I was and what I did, conscious and unconscious.

- Because it has high flexibility, and surprise after firing.

- Clay is a very versatile medium. When you handled it properly, you can do whatever you like. After firing, it becomes strong and durable. Clay has a very close relation to human as we are all make of clay by having a breath from God.

- Clay is an unique organic material that possesses high flexibility and at the same time demonstrates strong characteristic to sustain the creativity added upon.

- Clay associate with human history for long time and carried heavy culture and historical connotations. They are used as functional wares for foods and drinks, as objects for burial and rituals worship, as tilts and bricks for architecture usage etc. They also provide imperishable evidences in archeological studies. The uses of it as the medium for artistic expression are relatively new and add more meaning of clay in contemporary context.

- A material which is down to earth.

- It gives us the sense of warmth and human. The material itself tells the story, we may choose to cooperate with it or manipulate/control it, outcomes vary a lot.
Most important, I think clay choose me and I met the occasion to have interaction and dialogue with clay, the opportunity to get into this BA course, that is.

- 1st i study ceramics,so i think clay is mainly material for my work
2nd to continuous the study of ceramics and my last work (grad. show)



3. What are usually the references of your work? History & culture, contemporary trends & issues, self expression & emotions, form & aesthetic, functionality, glaze, methods & techniques, clay making process, etc? Please quote examples.

- 自我身份研究=次世代/御宅/動漫/遊戲文化，如樹精、拉杯精、俄羅斯方塊精、大量生產士兵、侵略地球、摘骰子決定釉方...etc

- My work focuses on knowing myself. It is a kind of self expression at first and then extended to the culture of the environment around me. Form & aesthetics are important to my work as it is abstract to most people. Colour/glaze is subtle as it is presenting some vague and ambiguous memories and feelings.

- Usual reference: contemporary issues like political issues, environmental issues, culture-in particular Chinese culture. I usually work on topics about eco-friendliness.

- I like to express my thought on human characters: relationship, emotion etc.

- Contemporary trends & issues, self expression & emotions, form & aesthetic, functionality. Reference from living.

- Because of my practical character, I like doing the functional ware especially all kind of bowls. The sea-waves movement also attract me a lot and gives me lots of stimulation when making the ceramics works.

- History & culture: I like to explore the clay history of east and west and find the linkage between them.
Contemporary trends: the fusion of east of west.
e.g. blue and white on porcelain boots: the idea are usually reflect social value of HK people nowadays.

- Self expression and emotion. As in the re-creation of 3-D "Journal" of a certain event/moments, or the manifestation of "new-found understandings".

- My work is the reaction to the translated images and messages in mass-media and question the extent of those media reflect the real truth.

- Working on clay looks like communicating with a friend. My interest is to understand the character & temperament of my friend.

- Mostly, from re-interpreting, re-presenting to transforming the elements I familiar with/in lives. Many manga elements show in works, probably due to in touch with Japanese cartoons on TV and comics in the 80s . By using clay to make my figurine, that extend the content of memories. That may be a commemoration when I look back to my childhood. By materializing the comic character or scene (by `creating’ them into real things), satisfaction derived, that may be a compensation to my materialistic mind of having toys/ figurines.
Creamy Mami turns Topsy Turvy series is a set of scene capturing with figurines inside. That is non-functional. Not much special techniques applied, mostly are from hand –building. By using white clay with different gradient of black applied/ drawn on the clay, that echo the presentation of comic drawing, also, that enhance the sense of .memorating.

- self expression & emotions
e.g. as my work in grad. show



4. In what way do you display your work? Indoor/outdoor, dark/bright, plinth/mounting on wall, hanging or any equipment require, such as projector, etc?

- It is a kind of installation on a tailor made plinth for a specific site.

- My works tend to be kind of installation.

- Full on the floor, hanging on the wall / ceiling.

- There is no fixed rule in handling the display of my works. Sometimes, I will hang it on the wall, leave it standing on the floor with a platform, or leave it stand on the shelves.

- sometimes with mirror.

- Depends on the theme or work created. Usually on plinth but will present as installation when necessary.

- On plinth by the wall.

- Usually on plinth.

- Indoor, spot light can enhance the dramatic atmosphere.
Using plinth and mounting on wall. No projector used for past works, considering to use projector also.

- may be indoor(4 sides view), bright, w/ plinth



5. How did the BA programme change you? E.g. your life, mind, vision, aesthetic, etc? Please quote at least 3 examples if possible.

- My vision.

- During the BA course, apart from work, life filled with clay. Working with clay becomes part of my life. Throwing becomes more and more of a necessity. I’d feel uneasy without throwing for a long time.

Before the course, I learned to work with clay at ceramics workshop and I only knew potteries, only made functional wares. The program takes me to another level. I try to make a statement with clay,
express with clay, and explore with clay.

The course also aroused my interest in Chinese history and culture.
Thanks to Jakie (arranging site visit to Zhuhai and Jingdezheng) and Mr Lam (giving lecture on Chinese ceramics history) for showing us the scenario on the mainland, both historical and contemporary. I have to admit my ignorance about this mother land. Now try to understand
mainland from another perspective.
- I knew none on clay before taken the BFA programme. Clay to me was only a kind of media nothing different with fiber grass, resin, etc. But after, I found clay is not only a kind of material. It can be a communication media or even a remedy…

Meanwhile, thru the programme, I met so many art lovers who show their passion and devotion to what they are doing. Maybe sometimes not in same point of view but always enrich my vision

- Sometime like a therapy to release my emotion, known on how to evaluate artwork, understand more about the meaning of the artist thinking.

- The BA programme lead me to another way of life, before, I am only concentrate on the figures as I am working in the accounting field since graduate from colleges. By doing the ceramics, it can release my emotions, my working pressures and give me a way to express my feelings and imagination and turn it out in a 3D form.

- I used to think ‘Artist’ is something unreachable, I found art is not as high as I thought, I regard myself as an artist after I graduated.
After the course, I observe a bit more, think a bit more and work a bit more.
It enrich me in the spirital way. I discover there are a lot of interesting things in the world and my life as well.

- More focused in using clay as means of expression.

- BA programme bring me to a new arena that was different from my familiar field. I studied science and trained to approach things and problems logically and scientifically. BA program offered me new insights in various aspects. The Art History and Theory was my most favorite subjects as it fill up my inadequacies in this area, the structure and framework of western art history were introduced, get to know how artists approach their ideas and work and expanded my insight and ability in contemporary art scene. The group critic sessions provided chance for us to discuss, elaborate and consolidate our ideas. And I recognized there are many ways in approaching questions/ideas not only a logical and rational way as I used to. It also expanded my network of knowing more friends in other fields.

- It changes my career and after all, my life.

- Change me! Sure.
* Way of seeing : appreciating beauty inside `ugly’ thing
* Try to grasp the trend of art development globally
* Even I still have a distance with clay in reality, clay seems always in my heart, even I cannot get into touch with it.

Clay is a naturally occurring material composed primarily of fine-grained minerals, which show plasticity through a variable range of water content, and which can be hardened when dried and/or fired. ( Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clay )
Main Entry: plas·tic·i·ty
Pronunciation: \pla-ˈsti-sə-tē\
Function: noun
Date: circa 1783
1: the quality or state of being plastic ; especially : capacity for being molded or altered
2: the ability to retain a shape attained by pressure deformation
3: the capacity of organisms with the same genotype to vary in developmental pattern, in phenotype, or in behavior according to varying environmental conditions
4: the capacity for continuous alteration of the neural pathways and synapses of the living brain and nervous system in response to experience or injury ( Merriam-Webster http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plasticity)

- i think the programme change my thinking directions
e.g. when i think a title to do work, not straight forward to think the form of work 1st, may be i need go to the begining.