Hong Ling Wee delights in making both sculptural work as well as ceramic objects for use. She is partial to finding different ways of integrating sculptural forms with functional ceramics without sacrificing aesthetics or practicality. She likes her creations to harness a quiet contemplative attribute, to serve as visual stimulation and to provide tactile pleasure.
For her functional pieces, Wee gives a contemporary freshness to a traditional craft by specializing in one-of-a-kind handmade ceramics that transform everyday utilitarian pottery into delightful, decorative objects.
Wee explores simple objects that are often taken for granted, and gives them greater importance by expressing human gestures and relationships through them. Her creations often make references to her family and heritage. Wee is attentive to ergonomic details and sees successful designs as the union of function and aesthetics. She wants her work to occupy a living space and be engaged in daily use to fulfill ideas of the useful and the beautiful.
In her sculptural work, Wee is developing a series of Prayer Houses to explore the extremely private and intimate use of a public sacred space. She is attracted to spaces where humans feel close to the divine; the work addresses the elusive qualities that define a sanctum.
Bio
Hong-Ling is a scientist-turned-artist who realized her passion for ceramics during her pursuit of a Ph.D. in Geography. Since completing her doctoral degree in 2005, she has been a full-time ceramicist who splits her time between the United States and Asia.
Hong-Ling has participated in numerous exhibitions all over the United States, Australia, Japan, Korea, China and Singapore. Hong-Ling has also held Artist-in-Residence positions at the Vermont Studio Center (Vermont, USA), the Shigaraki Ceramic Institute (Japan), and the Jingdezhen Experimental Factory and Pottery Workshop (China).
Hong-Ling’s works are in the permanent collections of the Singapore Art Museum (Singapore), the Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park (Japan), the Fule International Ceramic Art Museum (Fuping, China) and the Guangxi National Art Center (Nanning, China).
Hong-Ling's website
