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Wen-Hsi Harman

Artist Statement

My ceramic practice investigates the concept of ‘in-betweenness’ between Taiwan and Britain. Living away from my homeland gives me a clearer perspective of the culture in which I grew up. The cross-cultural experience provides a platform, from which I can address the questions of who I am and how I might express, and communicate my experience of in-betweenness as a place where I can survive - where I can draw breath to help me cope with the challenges of living in two cultures.  Currently, my handmade ceramic wall pieces are mainly porcelain and stoneware with the gold luster, enamels, and digital transfers. However, one of my project called " Taiwanese bananas and island" was focused on the earthenware (2014-2019).

I creates series of ceramic art based on handmade sculptural porcelain spoons, fingerprints, bananas, and traditional Chinese characters to explore tension of cross-cultural identity, between the East and the West.Using the tips of my thumbs and forefingers I created tiny and careful actions to represent my own small voice.

This meditative movement is between pressing and pushing, is between inhaling and exhaling. Each small individual porcelain fingerprint is a reconstruction of my cultural identity.

Bio

WEN-HSI Harman (1984-) was born in Taipei, Taiwan and is a ceramic artist currently living and working in Bristol, United Kingdom. She also is the member of the UNESCO-International Academy of Ceramics IAC and NCECA National Council on Education for the ceramic arts.Wen-Hsi studied her BA in Chinese Literature at the Soochow University, Taipei, Taiwan (2006). After this she studied her first MA in Chinese History of art in the National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan (2008). After this she studied her second MA in Contemporary Crafts (Ceramics) at the University for the Creative Arts, Farnham, UK (2010). She has been awarded the degree of the Doctor of Philosophy in ceramics at Bath Spa University, UK (2018).Wen-Hsi has exhibited her work internationally such Taiwan, South Korea, Britain, Germany, France, China, Denmark and Australia. Her work is also in the public collections such as the Compass Centre, Bristol, UK (2017).  The Fule International Ceramic Art Museum in China (2016). The New Taipei City Yingge Ceramics Museum in Taiwan (2016). The Ceramic Foundation in South Korea (2015).