"Point of Departure" Exhibition at Texas Women's University
October 18 - November 11, 2010
(Click here to go to TWU East/West Galleries Page)
New Studio Working Space in Danshui at
Click on the Link above to see Wu Xing Design's projects, especially their public art projects in and around Taipei. I'll be working here in the studio as an independent artist. It feels great to get back into the studio and start making new stuff!
Professional Photos of New Work - Solo Show @ Yingge Ceramics Museum, Taipei County, Taiwan Coming in March 2011
Random Student Interview
A beginning ceramic student at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania contacted me after seeing my work on artaxis.com. Her assignment is to interview and create a presentation on a ceramic artist whose work she likes. Yea! That's my work! And, here is the interview if you'd like to know a little more about me and my career as a ceramic artist:
1a)How did you first become interested in art? As a child I was always involved in something creative. I really loved all my art classes in grade school and did summer art camps at the local community college. In high school, my elective classes were always art.
1b)Were you always interested in art or did you have other careers in mind?
Growing up I was also an athlete. I was a very competitive gymnast, so I didn't really think much past that until my third year of college, when I only had one year left of competition as a gymnast, and I needed to graduate from university. Ha! I was a biology major for the first two years of college, then I took a drafting class (architectural drawing), then life drawing, then ceramics, and I loved it because it was very technical, involving a lot of science (physics and chemistry) but in the form of art.
2) What schooling/training have you had?
Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) - Ceramics, 2003, Southeast Missouri State University
Master of Fine Arts (MFA) - Ceramics, 2009, State University of New York at New Paltz
3) What is your favorite piece that you have made thus far and why?
My current work is always the most interesting, because I'm continually investigating new materials, images, and processes. I don't really have a favorite.
4) Who/what is your inspiration for your art?
This is constantly changing as well, and, its always of mish-mash of historical, cultural and intellectual things. Surrealism, Dada, and Collage are influences. Recently, Yves Klein's Blue paintings have been on my mind. The culture shock of living in Asia is pretty apparent in the work I've produced while in Taiwan (the Hello-Kitty/Terra Cotta Soldier pieces are the most direct in that way). I'm always attempting to express something personal as well, usually with a feminine tone.
5) How long have you been an artist?
I'm pretty sure all my life I've been an artist. But, professionally as a ceramic artist, probably since I sold my first pot in undergrad . . . so i'd say roughly ten years.
6) What has been the highlight of your career so far?
Finishing graduate school was a really giant step forward for my career, but I would say the highlight is right now, in Taiwan. I completed an awesome residency at the Taipei County Yingge Ceramics Museum here and will have a solo show in March. In the mean-time I'm working at the studio of some Taiwanese people who are very successful producing public art around Taipei. I will be able to draw upon the rich experiences and connections with people here for the rest of my career.
7) What jobs have you had besides what you are doing now?
Teacher, coach, waitress, bartender, english tutor, photographer, waitress, cashier, sales clerk, proofreader, . . . . . did I mention waitress? :)
8) What made you choose ceramics over other forms of art?
The technical demands of ceramics make it an endless challenge with endless possibilities. In other words, it will never ever be boring.
9) What other interests/hobbies do you had besides art?
Photography, traveling, running, biking, swimming, writing, cooking.
10) Where did you grow up and where else have you lived?
I grew up in a suburb of Chicago, IL - Aurora, lived in Missouri for my undergraduate degree, lived in Michigan for four years for an internship and residency, lived in New York for my graduate degree, and now, I'm living in Taiwan.
11) What art related plans do you have for the future?
My primary aim is to always be making new work and showing it. I love teaching, its extremely rewarding and keeps me from getting too wrapped up in my own work, so I aim to continue teaching, preferably college students. And, as much as I can, I'll keep writing about my experiences as an artist and educator.
