Page 9 - 荷器 林智斌工藝邀請展

A lake of lotus flowers,
Preface
a pot of fragrant tea.
Vessels of Lotus The lotus pond with its reflection is a mirror of impressions.
The green pond of singing frogs is a chamber of echoes.

Praise to the Creator of all things!Every one of us should learn from Mother Nature with a heart of humility, and embrace her in our life,
making our life a vessel for honorable use, useful to the Master, ready for every good work.

The exhibition features tea vessels styled after lotus flowers and various rocks, the inspiration of which came from my close encounter with
nature.
The Lotus collection contains teapots and various tea vessels styled after the lotus flower; this amazing collection won several recognitions
in 2020 alone: first prize in the prestigious Taiwan Craft Award, the top award in the crafts category of Da Dun Fine Arts Exhibition of
Taichung City, a Nanying Award, and an honorable mention in the National Brand Yushan Award.

“Vessels of Lotus” are named after the symbolic connotation in any crafts: every crafted piece is created with a good intention, and that
good intention would always be of auspice. These works communicate a literal meaning of gentleness and peace. During any tea-inspired
gatherings, we see friends joining in for great a brew, and wonderful conversations that flow naturally and organically. In other words, vital
affairs concerning the future of the nation could be explored surrounding a pot of tea, making the tea a cultural vessel – or a carrier – of
every interpersonal heart-to-heart.

A cup of warm tea awakens the senses with its light sweetness, and a faint, bitter aftertaste. The pleasant fragrance starts to waft around
me. I remember the Taiwanese high mountain tea I used to have in my maternal grandmother’s home as a child. For me, tea was by no
means tastier than any sodas; but since the elderly folk seemed to enjoy it, I also tried to fit in. That’s how tea connects us as a family. The
voices of our conversation can be likened to the croaks of the frogs in the pond. That’s how I communicate the “harmony” in the goodness
of life through the lotus pond and frogs.
Tea bricks were abolished in Ming dynasty, and replaced by loose tea leaves, which are placed in a teapot for steeping. As a result, unglazed
teapot came to the spotlight as the primary vessel. The town of Yixing is where the most celebrated teapot-making methods and cultural
legacy are preserved. At first, I attempted to self-teach the art of making Yixing teapots, and the experience drew me to study three-
dimensional sculpturing in National Taiwan University of Arts. This journey established a grounding for my personal style and techniques.
The making of “Vessels of Lotus” consists of two aspects.

First, how did a teapot structurally evolve to contain “a spout, a pot and a handle” since it was first invented? This is the historic question
I have about the “pot” itself. From a creative point-of-view, I adopt a realistic approach to retain the practical feature of the pot in the
creation, and define “the spout, the pot and the handle” with geometrical impressions per the established pot styling. Therefore, “this is a
teapot, and more than a teapot.” This is the newly-invented concept I develop from the conventional teapot structure, allowing these
endearing vessels to depart from their conventional stereotypes to leave a unique cultural imprint.

Secondly, I propose a “landscape” concept for the stylistic glossary of this teapot collection. In other words, these teapots are no longer a
standalone creation: they can be positioned in any given space to create a picturesque “landscape,” to engage the viewers on a spiritual level
for a unique ambient feel.

I also want to communicate the journey of life metaphorically through “lotus flowers and rocks” in a seasonal sequence. We can engage
the Creator with our heart and mind when we embrace nature with our senses, and pay homage to the Creator for all the beautiful gifts
He’s blessed us to feel!

Lin, Jhih-Bing

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