「One object per period」Gao Zhenyu: The “Unrestricted Growth” of Clay

What stories can a lump of clay tell? Gao Zhenyu’s “Clay’s Face” series is like a narrator, presenting the entire process of a lump of clay from its wet form to its final shape, to you who live in a fast-paced world.

The “Face” referred to here are not the designs created by the artist, but rather the “growth marks” of the clay itself. The interlaced folds are the textures formed when the clay material is compressed by gravity during the molding process. The uneven cracks are the stubbornness of the clay body resisting sudden temperature changes during the firing process. None of these patterns are deliberately decorated; they are all the true appearance of the clay’s “efforts to break free” during the shaping process.

This authenticity makes it a “slow reference point” in the fast-paced world. We are always busy making our lives neat and smooth, but it has its unadorned texture and stretches out in the most relaxed posture, resembling our true selves when we take off our disguises and collapse on the sofa. This tangible authenticity touches the heart more powerfully than abstract philosophical thoughts.

This looseness is the “rebellion” of the “clay’s face”, allowing the clay to be itself, breaking away from the regular shapes of the Purple Clay Family’s pottery, not modifying the flaws, simply following the nature of the clay and letting it “grow” into its current form. It’s more like a process of “free growth” rather than a creation.

If you want to experience this looseness, come to the exhibition hall of the 12th Art Shenzhen from December 4th to 7th. Let’s listen to the story of the clay together.

The tea for today is all gone. Next time, I’ll brew a fresh pot and enjoy art with you again.