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Ceramics & Glass (MA)

Ziying Li

A group of fluid sculptures with dark mirror glazes

I aim to seize the often overlooked natural motions that intertwine with our daily existence. Delving into the contours of water, fire, and clouds, I seek to render the ethereal into the palpable, crafting abstract forms that embody nature's vitality. Might these shapeless creations, yearning for spirit, unconsciously beckon souls? Like enigmatic beings, they silently scream, unheard yet deeply felt.

A group of fluid sculptures with dark mirror glazes
Two red glaze sculptures in Orange light background
{Scorched#1--10*10*25 cm}&{Scorched#2--10*14*29 cm}
Two black sculptures have gold and silver texture
{Scorched#3--10*17*35 cm}&{Scorched#4--10*22*38 cm}
A group of fluid sculptures with dark mirror glazes
{Scorched#5--15*22*43 cm}&{Scorched#6--30*18*60cm}&{Scorched#7--10*35*50cm}

Medium:

Stoneware, multiple-layer Mirror Glaze

Size:

Approx 90*40*60 cm （Group Sculptures）
abstractceramicsglazehandmadeillusionphytomorphic
A sulpture's blue glaze shiny under sunshine
The blue mirror glaze shiny under sunshine
The red mirror glazes changing under light
Red
The red tenmuku glazes changing under light
Tenmuku
A sulpture's gold glaze shiny under sunshine
Gold
A sulpture's brown glaze shiny under sunshine
Bark Brown

Unknown creatures lurk, casting their watchful gaze upon us......

A group of zoomorphic sculptures with color on their spines
Two zoomorphic sculptures with color on their spines
Seek?
A zoomorphic animal like sculpture with color on their spines
A group of zoomorphic sculptures with color on their spines
Tangle?
A group of zoomorphic sculptures with color on their spines

Medium:

Stoneware with White & Color Glazes

Size:

Approx 35*40*30 cm (Group sculpture)
abstractceramicshandmadezoomorphic
  • The egg nurtures life, but should it defy its readiness, what wondrous shapes shall emerge? Bound by an unbreakable bond, they are birthed within the shell, only to reciprocate support—like the karmic dance of existence and blossoming.
A egg shape sculpture with fluid part support it
A egg shape sculpture with fluid part support it
The glaze in the egg shell contains complex textures
The glaze in the egg shell turn gold under candle light
The glaze in the egg turn gold under candle light
The glaze in the egg turn gold under candle light

Medium:

Stoneware, multiple-layer Mirror Glaze

Size:

10*18*30 cm
abstractceramicshandmadenature

Ziying Li (b. 1997, China, Guangzhou), is a Chinese artist and ceramist. She is graduating from the MA Ceramics & Glass programme at the Royal College of Art in 2023.

Ziying studied Fine Art and Ceramics at Maryland Institute College of Art, graduating with a BFA in 2020. Prior to this, she studied Product Design at Guangdong University of Technology. In 2021 Ziying spent four months working as a volunteer at the International Centre of the Pottery Workshop in Jingdezhen, China. This experience kindled her passion for working with clay, inspiring her to apply to the RCA in order to continue exploring the material and her artistic language.

Ziying is now interested in working with ceramics to capture the subtle movements and invisible forces of nature. She poses questions about the existence of unseen life within her art, wondering if these lifeless, abstract forms unconsciously seek a soul.

Degree Details

School of Arts & HumanitiesCeramics & Glass (MA)RCA2023 at Truman Brewery

Truman Brewery, F Block, Ground, first and second floors

Ziying's potrait with a sculpture in her hand

In her work, Ziying captures the often-overlooked moments of nature, expressing them through her creations. Fascinated by the shape and form of water, fire, and clouds, she aims to transform the intangible into the tangible. Through abstract forms, Ziying conveys the vitality and energy of nature, encouraging viewers to reevaluate their surroundings and find beauty in the everyday.

Ziying’s artwork consists of multiple abstract elements, with which she abstracts and simplifies the growth and movement of the natural world. These elements merge into a larger whole, resembling a frozen, fantastical mysterious forest. By hiding multiple layers of texture beneath a deep-coloured mirror glaze, these textures reveal themselves only when illuminated, mirroring the hidden beauty and power that often goes unnoticed in our daily lives.

Ziying seeks to represent complexity through simplified forms, acknowledging the impossible mysteries of natural forces beneath the surface of the ordinary. Like silent creatures, her creations silently communicate and call out to observers, urging them to listen and engage with the hidden narratives within her work.

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Royal College of Art

Registered Office: Royal College of Art,
Kensington Gore, South Kensington,
London SW7 2EU