Repeat Expect

2022.11.06-12.31

Studio Gallery is honored to present Repeat, Expect, an exhibition of new sculptures by artist Ou Ming. Opening on 6 Nov, it will be the gallery's fourth solo exhibition of works by Ou, revealing his contemplative observation of sculpture and life.

In Ou's recent practice, he has constantly attempted to create a dynamic organism-like entity. With plaster, water (color), ceramics, and the passage of time, he built an independent circulative system in his sculptural works. Instead of creating a single "life being" as in his previous series, several separate entities structured the new work differently. Each sculptural piece is composed of two or three varying-sized ceramic vases that look like a vibrant family. A closer view shows that these vases are not separate; they are interconnected as a cohesive whole. That intention originated from Ou's new role as a father; since then, he began to feel a strong connection between his life of himself with another in the world. He realized that living beings are not entirely independent but a continuous existence.

The exhibition's title, "Repeat, Expect, "hints at Ou's current working state. Plaster had been the only medium in his work for over a decade. Ceramics was introduced in his last series Aesch, the production process of which is even more complicated than plaster. From a mass of clay through throwing, trimming, and glazing until kilning, all the processes accumulate a lengthy creating period. Furthermore, with great uncertainty in the process, Ou has to repeat again and again to bring the final piece closer to what he expected. Thus, Repeating and Expecting made up his daily routines. And the process of Expecting leaves plenty of blank space during the work, allowing him to understand better his motivations and desires. The only way to reach the ideal destination is through the path of expecting.

The trace of the artist seems invisible in Ou's new series; on the contrary, the plaster part is rendered smoothly without hand marks on the surface. Shifting from hand shaping to carefully throwing on the wheel, Ou adopted a new approach to the plaster inspired by his tremendous experience with ceramics over the past two years. This technique is similar to how he formerly worked with plaster: shape it with the help of gravity based on the axis. However, Ou's attitude to the material remains the same: "I follow it as much as possible. Because I found that there is no 'I', or I can't present it based on my will. It's not under my control, and the final presentation is God's business".

Recent work and life experience inspired Ou to reflect on the inherent concept of sculpture creation. He also started to wonder if a purely unique individual existed. Perhaps there is no difference between the so-called self and another individual or object since commonality is shared beyond our self-consciousness and knowledge. Therefore, what will be left when "I" is erased from the works?