CHINESE ZODIAC

The Chinese Zodiac was the focus of my AP concentration. I focused on detailed line work  with asymmetrical patterns and rhythmic proportion to create sgraffito pieces. I used influences from asian pottery to develop designs and color my pieces because I am of Chinese descent. I was also heavily influenced by positive and negative spaced chinese paper cutting depictions of the zodiac animals.

My works each have both the zodiac animal and the corresponding chinese character depicted on them and are arranged by the chronological year of the zodiac animals. The zodiac has always intrigued me as part of my Chinese heritage. I used sgraffito to depict the animals because of my strength in two dimensional imagery.  I wanted the pieces to be functional, so I made dishware. My first pieces, #1 and #4 were dipped in a high fire clear glaze. The high fire dip caused the line work to blur, so I altered my finishing effect to a matt surface high fire application. This technique left the lines in my pieces visible exposing the details of the linear patterns that create a sense of motion making the animals come to life. I also worked to make the animals fit the space of the piece with a sense of balance. The black glaze in #2 the ox, #3 the tiger, #6 the snake, #8 the goat, and #11 the dog made the animals more clear than the red, which tended to look watery despite the thick layer I painted on. The inside surfaces of the bowls were the most difficult to design due to the angle that the tools had to be held at. My most successful piece was image #2 The Ox, because the lines were clean and the spacing of the animals left enough space for the piece to breathe, despite the angle of the bowl.

Artist Statement