Geology and Spirituality Infuse Visiting Artists in Ceramics
In her introduction to Scholar’s Rocks in Ancient China author Kemin Hu writes, “Chinese in ancient times believed that rocks were the bones of the world, the essence of qi (energy or universal life force).” China has a long history of collecting and displaying natural rare stones for contemplation and inspiration, and Boston is an important center for the appreciation of this tradition.
On Saturday, October 28, from 10 am–3 pm, Hu will give an introductory lecture on scholar rocks, and Ceramics Program artist in residence Meng Zhao, whose sculpture evokes an association with scholar rocks through its eroded quality, will give a presentation on his work. “Water is a paradox,” explains Zhao. “It is tolerant to any outside pressure to be shaped into any forms. However, it is strong enough for small water drops to dig deep holes in hard rocks through the ages.”
Also that day, from 3:30–5 pm, there will be a reception for the exhibition of Zhao’s work at Kemin Hu Gallery and Judith Dowling Asian Arts, 133 Charles St., Boston. This exhibition opens on October 21 and continues through November 2. Exhibition co-host, Judith Dowling, has an M.A. from Harvard in East Asian Studies and is a former master at Leverett House.
Michihisa Iida is a young Japanese artist who also explores tactile forms and surfaces to understand and convey the nature of geologic time and processes. During the past decade Iida has won many awards in Japan for his sculptural vessels. On Tuesday, October 17, from 2–5 pm, he will give a presentation about his work at the Ceramics Studio. This workshop is offered in conjunction with an October 14 - November 13 exhibition of his work at Keiko Gallery, 121 Charles St., Boston.
This fall students from Eliot House are celebrating the Charles River in a tile-painting regatta, with guidance on tile-making and installation from Ceramics Program artist in residence Wasma’a Chorbachi and Art Tutor Polly Anastasi. The glazed and painted tiles will be installed at Eliot House.
Chorbachi recently facilitated the creation of several murals for the Divinity School during her Ceramics Program summer course, “Art and Spirituality.” Through clay’s responsiveness, Divinity students and staff explored how to understand and express their spiritual life. Writes one student, in the anonymous course diary: “Cutting and putting the pieces together was like a dance or a dialog ... at times it felt violent and scary, other times liberating, and ultimately it allowed for something new to be born.”
Building on her experience with this course, Chorbachi is conducting workshops on art and spirituality for undergraduates on Saturdays, from 1–4 pm, on September 30, October 6, and October 14. Students will create clay tiles, wall pieces, and sculptures.
“I am exploring the mysterious and intuitive link,” notes Chorbachi, “between spiritual expression and creative practice.” A Ph.D. in Art History from Harvard, Chorbachi is
a researcher and artist focused on the development of
Islamic design.
Fall Courses Explore Cultural Confluences,
Expressive Potential
Mariachi music, hot chocolate, poetry, and Mexican pastries from an 18th-century family recipe will animate a mid-day break from presentations on November 4 offered for the general public and students in Professor Maria Luisa F. Mansfield’s Harvard Extension School course, “Islamic, European and Indigenous Elements in Spanish American Art and Architecture.” Following a lecture by Mansfield, master classes by Wasma’a Chorbachi, Julia Smith, Meng Zhao, and José Yamunaqué will give students the opportunity to create a ceramic piece based on the rich confluence of Islamic, European, Chinese, and Indigenous elements in Spanish Colonial Ceramics.
“Taking students to visit art studios,” says Mansfield,
“helps them understand the technical aspects of a work of art, its ornamental program, as well as the individual artist’s relationship with the piece.”
General fall courses began the week of September 25 at the Allston studio. With inspiration from Lucy Scanlon ’65, students are making press molds of the fall harvest to create functional pots and sculptural objects. Beginning with exercises to capture a model’s expressive gestures, Jay Bordage is leading his students from anatomical studies to imaginary figurative explorations. Trish Adams, Dennis McLaughlin, Monica Ripley, and Ji Eun Kim are teaching the basics of wheel-throwing, hand-building, and glazing. Students in Shawn Panepinto’s course are combining hand-built and wheel-thrown components with found objects and mixed media; and participants in Nancy Selvage’s course are discovering interactive relationships between form, surface, and expressive content. Meng Zhao’s students are focused on brush painting.
Live music, food, comrades, and clay provided a stimulating environment for creative expression and play at the annual fall Clay All Night Party produced by Jess Hoy ’07 for undergraduates on Friday, September 29. Those who bonded with their creations are returning to the Allston studio to immerse themselves in the transformative process of glazing and firing.
Late registration for courses and independent study options will be accepted if space is available. For registration forms and other Ceramics Program information visit www.fas.harvard.edu/ceramics or call 617.495.8690.
