| 明莹 ‧ Obsidian Sheen |
A person’s virtue should gleam like the iridescence of mother-of-pearl, and human wisdom should be like the pearl concealed within a river clam.
| 思家资善谑，望远严诗律。 |
| 海蚌割明莹，荆璞略玷缺。 |
| 双瞳眩丹青，万纸叠冰雪。 |
| 敢辞穷日力，要使驽骥别。 |
The poem extols the poet’s friends, whose literary genius gleams like a pearl freshly cut from a sea-clam—flawless in its translucence—and even where the slightest blemish appears, it remains as precious as the unpolished jade of Jing Mountain. In essence, it is a quintessential Chinese tribute to upright character and the joy of finding a kindred spirit.
宝相花纹
The “Bao Xi ang” floral motif originated in Buddhist art, tracing back to lotus designs introduced to China during the Eastern Han dynasty.
By the Sui-Tang period it had absorbed scrolling foliage and peony forms, evolving into a multi-layered, radially symmetric composite flower. Its outward-unfolding petals signify prosperity and good fortune, while the central lotus core embodies purity and perfection, making the pattern a popular adornment on cave-temple ceilings, brocades, porcelain, and lacquerware.
Refined through the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, the Baoxiang flower has retained an aesthetic that is lavish yet restrained, graceful yet dignified, and it remains one of China’s most iconic auspicious motifs.
Essence
Rough × refined, muted × glimmering: opposing forces that resolve into equilibrium.
For this series I work exclusively with black clay, safeguarding every trace and texture of its making to amplify the dialogue between rawness and delicacy. The patterns draw almost entirely on traditional Chinese motifs. I am drawn to the weathered, imperfect aura of museum antiquities—the tangible marks that time leaves behind.