Taiwanese ceramic artist Weng Shih-chieh (翁士傑), whose ceramic teapot sets have been recognized by national awards, will showcase his delicate artworks at the National Tainan Living Art Center's Township History Hall from Sept. 26 to Dec. 20.
Weng, a major of mechanical engineering in college years, has been fascinated by the ceramic art since 2004 when he first got started in learning the art form. He became a full-time ceramic artist when he set up his own personal work studio Home Décor (雲手陶房, Cloud Hands Pottery House) in Tainan in 2010.
Comparing pottery creation to Tai Chi, Weng said he has refined his creative flair and practical ceramics skills through constantly practicing kneading clay, turning the raw material into precise ceramic works, just like practicing the Tai Chi movement "waving hands like clouds".
The artist started with studying the process of oil droplets tianmu (Tenmouku) and firing clay, one of the most critical parts of the ceramics process, before he immersed himself in the world of colored glazes.
Based on a series of testing and innovation efforts, Weng has demonstrated his solid knowledge in the chemistry of glaze through launching ceramic series, which have been enthusiastically-received.
In 2019, Weng opened up a new dimension for the art of ceramics through presenting a collection of white glaze, which is known as "tianbai" or "sweet white" for its transparent enamel colors.
His Rust Patch up Teapot Set won the excellent award of the 2019 Taiwan Ceramics Awards. Explaining the idea of his award-winning artwork, Weng said in the acceptance speech that he has always been fond of the unique quality of metals, "particularly the rusted surface of iron, which gives a feeling of vicissitude or loneliness."
'Norms of Nature – Ceramics from Life Series by Weng Shih-chieh'
Date: Sept. 26 – Dec. 12, 2020
Time: 9:30am - 5pm (Closed on Monday)
Venue: Township History Hall, the National Tainan Living Art Center
Address: No. 24 Zhonghua W. Rd. Section 2, Zhongxi District, Tainan City, Taiwan