I am lucky enough to find myself traveling to The Pottery Work Shop in Jingdezhen, China to undergo a 2 month artist residency where I will be able to realise my latest project exploring the translation of history and production of historic cultural porcelain items.
Project Plan:
Throughout my practice I have always been interested in the history of 18th century European porcelain and its production. Coming from New Zealand, a small geographically isolated country, the traditions of ancient régime European porcelain and its historical implications are equally remote. This has allowed a simulation of constructed conceptions to be born with many elements being morphed in translation.
While I was in Europe I was able to survey what has been lost and/or gained from these translations. It was here that I was able to see the evident Chinese / Oriental influence on the history of European porcelain and I was able to realize that porcelain and its production in Europe stems from and was an adopted industry from Asia where again many elements have been transformed in the translation of culture to a new time and place.
I am now especially interested in tracing this history back to its point of origin in Jingdezhen so I can explore the translation of culture and cultural items through different times and places in history, examining the altered understandings and lineage of historic items.
Inspired by this exchange of culture I would like to create a series of medium to large decorative urns using traditional Chinese production techniques in order to trace and tell the story of particular cultural items through time in their many transformations; linking them to a current understanding in the context of New Zealand culture which in contrast to China displays a very brief and adapted history.
This residency is made possible with the generous support and funding from Creative New Zealand and The Asia:NZ Foundation. THANK YOU!
