Crevice

I tried to make abstract ceramic works and paintings inspired by the shapes of the branches and the patterns of the bark. In this process, the cracks in the bark appealed to me the most, as I discovered that these cracks are not only a record of the tree's life, but also a space where many microscopic organisms live, such as spiders and small reptiles. This formed another ecosystem, a small world. This reminds me of a Buddhist verse: one flower, one world; one leaf, one bodhi. It describes a multi-dimensional cosmology of 'worlds within worlds'. It also made me think that our present world might itself be a narrow crack within another kind of creature.

In the end, I chose to make a sculpture from a dead branch I had picked up, by coating it with clay, allowing the branch to return to the dust in another way. The clay cracks as it dries naturally, and through these cracks you can peer into the original bark cracks of the branch. The clay is a product of nature and human ingenuity, covering a branch that is no longer part of its original life cycle and has died, to form a new existence. The two materials — the branch and the clay, one from nature and the other a combination of human and natural origins — give the work two similar cracks. The cracks in the clay seem like an artificial reproduction, emphasising the cracks in the branch. The clay itself is fragile and wrapped around the branch, forming a delicate protective sheath that seals the branch, which in itself is contradictory. The soft clay gently wraps around the branch, bringing a sense of calmness and kindness.