The Things We Carry
Group shot of the trio of sculptures (Still 02, Still 01, Still 03, from left to right) in The Things We Carry exhibition at Circa Atelier. August 28 to September 28, 2026.
A few months ago, I saw an open call from Circa Atelier, for ceramic artwork submission. The theme was: The Things We Carry. It got me thinking about what are the experiences, ideas, incidents that shape us. My thoughts keep coming back to childhood memories of being alone and how it shaped me as a person. Growing up an only child, I spent a lot of time by myself. Most of the time I was content and enjoyed the solitude. Even today, I find that I need a lot more “alone time,” than most people I know. Maybe that’s why I like working with clay so much. It’s the perfect solo activity.
Being alone did cause some issues. When I did interact with other children, I’d feel self-conscious and unsure of how to behave. It felt like everyone knew what to do except for me. Immigrating to a new country half way around the world didn’t exactly help. I never thought about this too deeply but while working on these sculptures, my “outsider” complex became glaringly obvious.
The concept came to me almost immediately. It’s almost magical, the way that Elizabeth Gilbert described in her book about inspiration and creative process, Big Magic. Interesting to note, I had little to no struggle with technical issues compared to throwing and working on the wheel. The work seemed to flow. Hollowing out the centres were especially gratifying. The firing process took a lot longer than anticipated. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise… allowing me more time to test glazes and finishes. I always knew this was going to be a trio, but I made them one after another. Next time I like to try making the group at the same time.
Artist Statement
Growing up an only child, I spent a lot of time by myself. Seldom are there other children to talk to or play with. Trying to make sense of things, I made up my own games and worldview – mostly keeping them to myself. I longed to be with other kids but was afraid of them at the same time. Never quite sure how to act. Later I realized, this outsider feeling is something I never outgrew and carried with me into adulthood.
Medium: clay, under glaze, engobe, clear crackle glaze, ink and twine
Opening Night
My first clay arts exhibition! Thrilled to be a part of this wonderful group. Still feeling a bit in awe that my work was selected. This gives me so much encouragement to keep going. Thank you to all the friends that came and all the lovely new friends I met.