A Fusion of Old and New in Wood Firing
2009 Solo Exhibition of Wood-Fired Ceramics by Wu Ming-Yi

Artist Statement

The natural and varied colors of wood-fired ceramics and its simplicity have fascinated me and lifted my vibration.

When wood fires in the kilns, ashes fly in the blazing flame and fall upon the exposed surface of the pottery. Through high temperature firing the melted ashes create a "natural ash-glaze" on the works while the flame leaves "fire marks" on the unexposed surface of the ceramics. These ceramics are not just about wood firing. They are more about the fusion of man, kiln, wood, clay, and fire-the combining forces of nature-flying in a vibrant pattern, waving with an exciting expression, and leaving a meaningful legacy. The number of factors affecting the appearance of wood-fired ceramics is so great that I always feel scared yet excited before the works are removed from the kilns-feelings which only woodfiring ceramists would know.

Ten years have passed since my last wood-fired ceramics exhibition. Over these ten years, I've built two wood-fired kilns with two chimneys (one big and the other small) in the studio in Miaoli. I called them "mother-and-son kilns". The method of building these two kilns is extremely different from that of the first kiln built at the top of my four-story house. From the design of kiln to the firing in the kiln, I've continued to try something new. The works in this exhibition certainly reflect the diversity of wood-fired ceramics. They also show the diversified possibilities of wood firing, "natural ash glaze", and "fire marks" through different interactions among design of kiln construction, choice of wood, proportion and type of earthen materials, method of putting into the kiln, firing in the kiln, and sealing the kiln.

Wu, Ming-Yi
January 2009