Fire and Index, 2022

The research-creation was guided by ideas like "living with trouble" in the "pluralistic path" through anthropogenic and natural environmental change. My work researches passages for contradictory statements to clash, negotiate and coexist with nature. Combining these frameworks, I am in search of a unique voice and process of my artistic identity and practice.

By experimenting with paint and surface and applying heat to painted wire mesh, I discovered how to create indexical imprints on various surfaces. I have created a coherent body of work that sits at the intersection of sculpture, painting and printmaking. The eight printed ceramic panels respond to cultural relevance in a personal context. The medium embodies semi-abstract figures onto natural landscapes.

The project is based on my fascination with fire ecology. Looking through the lens of the eco-feminism theory of Chthulucene and visual anthropologist Gregory Bateson's interconnectedness of mind and nature. I stick to understanding the urban systems we build and finding my own place.

I use fire to transfer the colours onto ceramic surfaces. For the painting on ceramic, I photograph my boyfriend's and my bodies and edit them into body fragments. The fragments are arranged as a composition inspired by Chinese landscape paintings in the Yuan Dynasty. Then I transfer the digital collages onto ceramic surfaces and paint over them. Then I work with the element of fire. I place colours on a flat metal mesh and then sculpt the painted mesh into the topographic shape. The hand-crafted landform resembles a fragmented visual index of an ecosystem. This process will create a foggy imprint caused by the landform's topographic difference. The shape and colour of the imprint depend on the pigment and the level of combustion. The coloration of the smoke left behind by oxidation is a matter of the composition of the pigment, the thickness and the way it burns. The different heat and direction of using the fire will affect the shape and depth of the imprint. At the same time, the chemical composition of the pigment itself will also be crucial in determining whether or not it is coloured.

- Selected digital draft (without fire index)