In- Between (2024)
Work series
My project delves into the complex impact of the British National (Overseas) visa on Hong Kong immigrants moving to the UK since its introduction in 2021. Drawing from urban observations in both Manchester and Hong Kong, I explore notions of belonging on a deeper level. Metaphorically connecting the fluidity of glaze to the unsettled history of immigrants, I incorporate theories of reverse thinking and deconstruction into my ceramic practice. Through the lens of deconstruction, I seek a renewed sense of belonging during the transition from one city to another.
My experimentation with glaze challenges conventional ideas about its role in ceramics. Alongside this, AI—specifically Midjourney—has become part of my creative process. While generating street views of Manchester and Hong Kong, I discovered a kind of “nonsense language” produced by the AI—images that mimic real language and places but never fully align with them. This artificial visual language produces intriguing and uncanny results, challenging assumptions and opening up new creative possibilities. Inspired by this, I began generating images of real buildings in a destructed state, exploring the boundary between reality and the virtual. I aim to create a surreal experience for viewers, encouraging them to reimagine their identities, just as the AI-generated images blur the line between the real and the unreal.
This exploration extends to bricks, inspired by the architectural landscape of the UK, particularly its abundant brick structures. Bricks symbolize both stability and fragility—reflecting the dual experience of immigrants adapting to new environments. I metaphorically link this transition to the flux between clay and glaze. By exploring how a single material transforms, I seek to capture the essence of transition and transformation, mirroring the journey of Hong Kong immigrants relocating to the UK—a process that embodies flux in both identity and belonging.
My ceramic process involves glaze-casting techniques, using the heat of the kiln to construct and deconstruct ceramic towers. These acts of formation and dissolution echo themes of migration, memory, and place. Through this process, I aim to unearth a renewed sense of belonging and invite viewers to reflect on their own experiences of transition and identity.
In conclusion, my artistic journey is an ongoing exploration of identity, belonging, and transformation. Through my work, I aim to provoke thought, evoke emotion, and inspire contemplation. As we navigate the complexities of migration and adaptation, I hope my creations act as catalysts for dialogue and reflection—offering glimpses of a renewed sense of belonging in an ever-changing world.
In- Between #1 (2024)
16 X 22 cm. Clay and glazes.
In- Between #1, 2 and 3 (2024)
16 X 22 cm. Clay and glazes.
In- Between #1 (2024)
In- Between #1, 2 and 3 (2024)
In- Between #1, 2 and 3 (2024)
In- Between #2 (2024)
16 X 22 cm. Clay and glazes.
In- Between #4 (2024)
22 X 16 X 7 cm. Clay and glazes.
In- Between #5 (2024)
22 X 16 X 7 cm. Clay and glazes.
In- Between #5 (2024)
In- Between #5 (2024)
In- Between #1 (2024)
BRICKS ARE EVERYWHERE, AROUND ME.
During my research on cityscapes and architecture, I observed the differences between buildings in Hong Kong and the UK. I realised that one of the most significant building materials in the UK is red clay brick. Bricks are everywhere in the UK, and Manchester is no exception. Although red brick seems particularly prominent in British architecture, brick itself is a universal and commonly used building material. That’s when I began to consider using bricks as a form in my project—both as a universal language and a symbol of architecture.
Seeing bricks daily has subtly influenced my creative process. Bricks represent stability, safety, and permanence. So I began to wonder: what happens if I distort a brick? Could that challenge people's conventional assumptions about what bricks—and by extension, structures—are meant to be?
Soft Bricks
The brick represents stability as a universal symbol. Brick constructions are sturdy and enduring. At the same time, a brick building can be disassembled or reduced to a pile of broken bricks by human force, machines, or even nature. I want to challenge this symbolism—softening the bricks and letting them collapse, as if they were never meant to be stable.
This idea has led me to begin a series of material experiments, exploring the flux between clay and glaze and observing how a single material can shift from one state to another. My process has involved casting clay and glaze in plaster moulds, assembling the cast pieces into structures, and then allowing them to deconstruct during firing in the kiln.
I have also explored glaze as a stand-alone material. By adding more clay to it to make it stiffer, I came to realise that glaze is, in essence, clay—and vice versa. Since then, I have been focusing on one type of clay, introducing fluxes in varying percentages, and observing how it transforms between clay and glaze.
Crosby Beach
Countless pieces of rubble—bricks, mortar, and tiles—can be found all over Liverpool's Crosby Beach. They were left behind after the World War II Blitz. Year after year, the tide erodes the bricks, softening their edges. Many of them now look like pebbles—very round and smooth. From this, I can imagine how long these bricks have been on the beach. Imagining the houses and buildings that were destroyed, and the bricks left behind after the conflict, I think they could once have been part of someone’s home. It feels as though I can see traces of people’s pasts and memories in these remnants.
Manchester site (2024)
Crosby Beach (2024)
London site (2025)
London site (2025)
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