Chinese artist Bian Xiaodong’s characteristic ultra thin––even translucent––porcelain Venus fly trap-esque vessels stand agape, even going so far as to dare its viewer to test its ferocity.
That ferocity, however, is actually in the form of delicate drips, which appear to defy gravity––dripping impossibly upward, standing on end.
“My work attempts to discover the special texture of ceramic materials, and the beauty that is brought to me by the natural forces.”
Colossal
Working from kaolin clay derived from Jengdezhen, Xiaodong has been experimenting with natural transformations of the medium. Using silicone molds to yield perfectly rounded forms, he then, while they’re still supple, turns upside down to allow a natural flow, according to Colossal.
Citing the China Design Centre, the publication adds the high-temperature firing process further writhes their structure. Once achieving their final form, the artist then paints them using an array of colorful pigments, even metallics.
Wiew more of Bian’s raindrop-like artworks at the China Design Centre’s online gallery.
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