Exhibition Preface

By Curator Zhao Xuanye

People are always impressed by Yu Le’en’s ceramic works at the first sight, and this feeling goes even deeper after talking with the artist. Start from Mud–this is the idea that Yu insists and keeps thinking of. Turning away from profound literature and philosophy, simply, his idea conveys the origin of the road of art, and also indicates his cordial attention to this origin. It was via such practice that Yu gradually accumulated more knowledge of clay, or of material, than others, and with delight, he carries out innovation regardless of miscellaneous problems.

Yu cannot agree with the prevailing notion that the understanding of clay is separated from ceramic knowledge. His ceramic design and production, as well as marvellous ink art created in the meantime, all suggests his long-lasting consideration for and thorough exploration of material, which substantially differs from current trend, which pursues superficial visual effects excessively. On contrast, obviously, the strong visual tension expressed in Yu’s works by no means aims merely at a feast for the eyes–it appears spontaneously.

During the process of designing or creating, Yu doesn’t expect any certain result, nor does he conduct experiments according to the mirage again and again and hold the fruit tight. On the contrary, his starting point is clay, and so is his destination. Thus the word ‘result’ has never been a part of his creation. The single impulse and desire to segregate the ‘end’ from the ‘start’ comes from the artist's devout artistic view as well as the absence of utilitarian. With freedom and detachment, the ‘start’ and ‘finish’ in a nature state lead to the unity of heaven and mankind. It could be said that he has unveiled the essence of ceramic art, and let it ‘went back’ to its own ‘realm’.

However, letting go doesn’t mean giving up, but recontact and reacquaintance. What lie behind Yu’s graphic, cubic, plain or glaze works are not only richness of color, but also the nature of clay - oriental aesthetics. This is the new expression that Yu has extracted from clay. ‘The Oriental Skin’ is one of his serial works, an utmost manifestation of the concept ‘start from earth’. It is the present of clay and absence of fire, and even trace of the artist has been yield to clay itself. The work acts as a representative for Yu’s ceramic art, and more importantly, an interpretation on and supplement to contemporary ceramic aesthetics.

About the exhibition

Opening time: 3:00pm, Dec.20 , 2015

Duration: 2015.12.20 – 2016.01.03

Location: 1, 2nd floor exhibition hall of Building No.3, Today Art Museum

Courtesy of the artist and Today Art Museum, for further information please visit www.todayartmuseum.com.