'Material Thinking'
Nothing is permanent...
“Despite one’s lifetime achievements, everything will eventually return to the earth. This is the fleeting nature of life.”
EARTH TO EARTH features semi-abstract white porcelain figures seated on red bricks. The curvy folds resemble the white garments of Guanyin (God of Mercy), And the cracks on the smooth porcelain remind one of the ancient Roman marble statues. The impermanence of the human form in this piece connects Eastern and Western cultures.
“Despite one’s lifetime achievements, everything will eventually return to the earth. This is the fleeting nature of life.”
EARTH TO EARTH features semi-abstract white porcelain figures seated on red bricks. The curvy folds resemble the white garments of Guanyin (God of Mercy), And the cracks on the smooth porcelain remind one of the ancient Roman marble statues. The impermanence of the human form in this piece connects Eastern and Western cultures.
These faceless figures, highlight the beauty of materiality while also exploring humanity’s cycle of life. Right in the middle of the installation, the shattered pieces of porcelain is a reminder of our return to earth. The red bricks contrast and accentuate the implementation of life. This visual language in this art piece creates a vestige of ancient cities; evoking feelings of nostalgia, sorrow, and contemplation.
This permanent installation at Kaolin is a reminder of the materiality of porcelain, The same porcelain used in fine China and artworks like this, is the same porcelain used in our tiles. We are proud to be a part of the renaissance and importance of porcelain fine China and that this material can be recycled back into the Earth. Earth to Earth.
Biography of Chris Ma:
Born in Hong Kong in 1961, MA Sai Cheong (Chris Ma) graduated from Grantham College of Education (Arts & Design) in 1985 and Wolverhampton University (Arts & Design) in 1991. Since 1986, Chris has held over 70 exhibitions. His exhibitions took place in Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre, University Museum and Art Gallery (Hong Kong), Galeria De Leal Senado (Macau), National Museum of History (Taiwan), Onomichi Enomachi-kan (Japan), University of British Columbia (Canada) and the University of Sydney (Australia). Chris was recently invited to the 1st International Contemporary Material Art Biennale in June 2022 in China. Chris’s art pieces are widely collected by institutions around the world including the Hong Kong Museum of Art (Hong Kong), Regional Council Museum (Hong Kong), Philippe Charriol Foundation (Hong Kong), Leal Senado’s Art Gallery (Macau), International Workshop of Ceramic Art in Tokoname (Japan) and Asian Centre of the University of British Columbia (Canada).
Born in Hong Kong in 1961, MA Sai Cheong (Chris Ma) graduated from Grantham College of Education (Arts & Design) in 1985 and Wolverhampton University (Arts & Design) in 1991. Since 1986, Chris has held over 70 exhibitions. His exhibitions took place in Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre, University Museum and Art Gallery (Hong Kong), Galeria De Leal Senado (Macau), National Museum of History (Taiwan), Onomichi Enomachi-kan (Japan), University of British Columbia (Canada) and the University of Sydney (Australia). Chris was recently invited to the 1st International Contemporary Material Art Biennale in June 2022 in China. Chris’s art pieces are widely collected by institutions around the world including the Hong Kong Museum of Art (Hong Kong), Regional Council Museum (Hong Kong), Philippe Charriol Foundation (Hong Kong), Leal Senado’s Art Gallery (Macau), International Workshop of Ceramic Art in Tokoname (Japan) and Asian Centre of the University of British Columbia (Canada).