For as long as I can remember, I've been elbow deep playing in sand and mud. There is joy in creating with these kinds of materials, a joy that I can continually get lost in. Any sounds around me fall on deaf ears, and I become completely immersed in my thoughts. I always emerge from these creative sessions covered in dirt but feeling genuinely zen. From the sandbox to my first ceramics course in art class to travelling around China to deepen my knowledge of the art of ceramics, it's been a lifelong practice.

I've always preferred handmade arts. Not only for its contemplative nature but because of its utter uniqueness. You can find those notes of distinction with every artist's work. It's all the more pure and closer to the heart than industrial products because it is crafted at the hands of soulful beings.

One ceramic piece, in particular, was like a spiritual awakening for me. It was born from spontaneous expression, a tidal wave of improvisation that revealed my subconscious. My mind was blank as I created lines rippling outwards, going round and round. I focused on their every slight striation within the pattern. When I came out of this artistic trance, it revealed itself to me as the rings of a tree trunk, boasting a great many years of life. I named it "Awakening' for this very reason, as one of my favourite pieces, it represents the power of the unconscious mind.

When possible, I love to keep my ceramics raw, avoiding tools and finding the perfect fusion between hands and clay. That being said, Chinese ink culture has had a significant influence on me. The beautiful collision between black and white, as well as the juxtaposition of the hardened ceramic and soft brush strokes sweeping across it. It brings two of China's most captivating art forms together, which is important to me.

I create in this way to express myself. Of course, I am aware that not everything I have experienced can be understood by others. While that might bother some artists, for me, ceramics have a beautiful quality in that it is open to interpretation. You can observe what you like in any vase or plate, I don't feel there needs to be a consensus with art.

I do draw the line in one sense, though. I believe that ceramics are more than ornaments for decoration. They ought to be treated as artworks that naturally intermingle within the spaces they exist. Never hidden under the sink to only be taken out for the occasional floral arrangement.

‍