凝散 Pressing into Cracks and Blooms

2022 - 2023

Raw clay, traditional chinese medicinal herbs, water, rice paper

Each ball of clay is pinched hundreds of times between fingers and palms to create a small hollow space that holds time. When these unfired clay vessels are filled with traditional Chinese medicine, their vivid colours inevitably seep through, rupturing the bowl. I made this performance-installation to wrestle with my reluctance to accept change and impermanence. Sometimes, I find myself willing the present to hold for a moment longer, despite the discomfort. As I continually replace broken pots with freshly made ones, I wonder if rupture can be blooming and growth?