Silk Road Musings

Developing Motifs Inspired by Asian Ceramics

Here we are almost into 2018 and we find a renewal of interest in the old China trade route. Perhaps that has piqued my meander into Yuan and Ming Porcelains. Always wowed by the color and form of these, the decorative motifs and the elegance of the ceramics of this period.

Prof. Julia Galloway of UM in Missoula has studied this period and put together a pretty extensive lecture on the unique styles of the vessels represented in the China trade, the rationale behind its development and influence on world culture.

In her recent workshop at Archie Bray Foundation in Helena, MT, we experimented with adding decals derived from imagery related to the narrative of the pieces. For this Yuan piece I chose the labyrinth which I have been using for quite some time as a connection to goddess imagery that has been thematic in my work.

Here are some new pieces that reflect a connection to Asian ceramics.