WOW Presents: Power as Infinite

Our Year of the Dragon Ceramics Show, Power as Infinite, ushers in the strength and power of the year of the wood dragon.

This year we invited 20+ ceramicists to create functional work to be displayed on our shelves that once held dried herbs for an in-house herbalist. The show's theme POWER was inspired by the year of the dragon and the desire to challenge cultural narratives that have shaped the dragon as a symbol of ruling power, strength, and authority.

Inspired by the deep work The W.O.W. Project has been stewarding pushing us to think about unexpected passageways to help us better understand our present, we asked each artist to reflect on the following prompts:

what powers do you have? And what powers are you growing? 

Power is infinite when we are in community.

The featured artists include: Catalina Cheng, Ling Chun, Jennifer Ling Datchuk, Coco Lim Haas, Camila Lim-Hing, Johnathan Huang, Jenny Ibsen, Michelle Im, Anna Yuh Kyung, Jennie Jieun Lee, Cathy C Lu, Adam/Moy, Shiyue, Ellen Pong, Tiffany Saw, Stephanie H. Shih, Hana Sun, Tiffany Tang, Luc Hammond-Thomas, Sami Tsang, Cheyenne Yu, and Lu Zhang. 

Power as Infinite will be on view at the Wing on Wo storefront during business hours from January 11, 2024 to February 29, 2024. Pieces are available for purchase in-store only. The sales are first come, first serve and the pieces will be available for pick-up after the show concludes, starting on March 1, 2024.

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Below is a key detailing our in-store display.

 

A: Stephanie Shih @stephaniehshih 

Stephanie H. Shih is an artist based in Brooklyn, NY. Since 2017, she’s raised over $115,000 for decarceral causes and marginalized communities through her art and platform. Her painted ceramic sculptures are held in numerous museum collections across the country.

A pomelo with hanging 福 for abundance and good fortune in the year to come. Edition of 6 made by the artist during her residency at the Kohler Co.'s industrial factory in Wisconsin.

$500

B, Z: Camila Lim-Hing @limsclay

Camila Lim-Hing is a Chinese-Hispanic ceramic artist based in Brooklyn, New York. Her work integrates functionality, sculpture, and painting, exploring themes of identity and cultural convergence

Twin Dragon Bud Vases & Knotted Dragon Vase 

Stoneware, underglaze, glaze. 3.5”x3”x3”

$125 for each bud vase; $220 Knotted Dragon vase 

The Twin Dragon bud vases serve as a potent reminder that power lies in the delicate balance of opposites, celebrating the beauty found in the interplay of strength and duality. 

The Knotted Dragon vase, a fusion of tradition and contemporary expression, draws inspiration from a 3rd-century BCE jade pendant depicting a Knotted Dragon of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. Echoed in clay are the sinuous curves of the dragon, delving into the symbolic power embedded in the visual language of knots, creating a vase that embodies resilience and protection.

C, D, I: Lu Zhang @wetdreamsneverend

Lu Zhang is a New York based artist born in Xi’an, China. She creates intimate experiences that reenact memories and dream states, and investigates the transference of existing knowledge and cognitive experiences to tell stories in the form of installations incorporating ceramics and video. She also works collaboratively in performances that engage the public in explorations about the relativity and ambiguity of relationships. Lu received her MFA in Fine Arts and MS in Art History from Pratt Institute and holds a BA degree in Economics from Xi’an JiaoTong University. Lu has exhibited and given artist talks, lectures and public programs nationally and internationally.

Wait, Till One Sees the Moonlight Come Through the Dark Cloud porcelain 

two parts includes bottom and a lid, 5x5x5in, 2 variations 

$300 for each incense burner 

The series of sculptural ceramic incense burners made by Lu Zhang is titled by the Chinese idiom 守得云开见月明, translated as “Wait, Till One Sees the Moonlight Come Through the Dark Cloud”. This series, inspired by a traditional ancient Chinese Han dynasty incense burner form, depicts an image of a dragon going through a clouded mountain, eventually through a cloud of incense smoke, to encounter the moon. It was sculpted with gas-fired stoneware and porcelain, with layered glazes for an abstract depiction of a mountain intertwined cloud landscape. This title is commonly used to describe the experience of going through a challenging or difficult period and finally seeing a positive turn, leading to a hopeful and bright future. The idiom conveys the significance of perseverance, patience, and waiting as power — suggesting that as long as one persists and endures, they will eventually encounter a beautiful moment.

E: Jialin Wang @jialinw.tiffany_art

Jialin (Tiffany) Wang is a Chinese artist currently living in Boston, US. She earned her bachelor in sculpture-ceramics at University of Connecticut and continued as a multimedia artist at MassArt. Jialin uses her works to express emotional notions of home, and what it's like, as a foreigner, to always be looking for it.

Deep Spring 春深 , Peony 牡丹: Embracing the essence of nature is integral to my artistic expression. It serves as a connection to my roots, and incorporating elements from my culture into ceramics brings a profound sense of home. Deliberately choosing traditional Chinese flowers that symbolized strength and power such as peonies and Hemerocallis, along with the mysterious and powerful dragon representing the 2024 zodiac sign, adds depth to my creations. The title "春深" holds layered meanings, echoing the vibrancy of spring mirrored in the chosen glaze colors. This deep spring, a season of immense power, mirrors the transformative journey of growth emerging from winter's dormancy.

Deep Spring Porcelain, medium fire glaze, premium gold, Peony Porcelain, medium fire glaze. Hand wash with soft cloth. Do not put in microwave, oven or dishwasher if the piece has gold on it. Do not leave acidic food in ceramic pieces for long time period.

Deep Spring porcelain $70 & $65; Small Peony Plates $30; 

F: Catalina Cheng @catalina_cheng

Catalina is a queer multidisciplinary artist based in Atlanta, Georgia. “I am a skater, small business owner, and graduate from USF Muma College of Business. When the only representation of people like you is stereotypes, that is all people will see. Every action becomes about denying or affirming their preconceived notions. It is my duty to keep creating and representing myself. I am proud to be a Colombian and Chinese American and aim to create art that captures the dichotomy and duality of these parts of myself. I started producing art when I was very young then began selling my creations in elementary school to my peers and anyone who was interested and have been doing the same ever since. I hope to continue to produce works to spread my art and love across the world.”

Not too sweet

stoneware, glaze, 4" x 4"x 4", handle gently. clean with dish soap or rubbing alcohol. 

$500

Catalina creates objects that are heartwarming, humorous, and inspire a sense of sentimentality. They use bright colors, cartoons, and imaginary creatures to evoke a daydreamy universe that rebels against traditionally “serious” art media and the heteronormative gaze. Full of irreverent phrases and punchy one-liners, their work is at times very literal—this is GAY ART made by a GAY ARTIST. But sometimes it takes on a gentler tone, with messages of care and an apparent lovesickness and romanticism. Collectively, Catalina’s works are an emotional record of what it’s like to navigate the world as a queer, Colombian, Chinese first-generation American. Many of their pieces pull from traditional blue and white Chinese pottery, while others are emblazoned with Spanish adages from their childhood. Their hope is that their art incites the joy that they feel when creating it. 

 G: Anna Yuh Kyung

As a graduate of Central Saint Martins in London, England, Anna Yuk Kyung brings a global perspective to her work. Living and working in the artistic hub of Oakland, California, she co-owns Merritt Ceramics, a dynamic community studio where creativity thrives. 

Soy sauce dispensers

Porcelain, underglaze, glaze.

$120 for each dispenser 

These ceramics are interpretations of Korean American aesthetic. Yuh Kyung melds the cultural essence of her Asian heritage with a playful and modern sensibility. Recognized for her innovative approach, she redefines traditional pieces such as soy sauce dispensers, infusing them with whimsy and contemporary flair. 

H, M: Luc Hammond-Thomas @luchammondthomas

Luc Toshiro Hammond-Thomas (b. New York, NY) is a ceramic artist based in Brooklyn, NY. He currently works as the ceramic manager at Tom Sachs studio and is part of the faculty at Greenwich House Pottery and BKLYN Clay. He holds a BFA in fine arts from Alfred University

Luc's practice is deeply rooted in traditional pottery techniques, with an uncontrollable urge to use those techniques untraditionally. I create objects with an implied function, but tend to be more symbolic of use.

Baby Dragon Jars 

Ceramic, glaze. Food safe. 5h”x5.5w”x5.5” 

$172 for each jar 

Pink Mugs, Black Mugs

Ceramic, glaze. Food safe. 3.25h”x3.75w”x5d”

$74 for each mug

These jars started off as grounded traditional lidded jars. By adding the feet and appendages, I noticed how it transformed these low stocky jars into something more animated, giving it height and stature. Symbolic of a more powerful and animalistic object. Through this process they started to channel dragon-like qualities, both visually and symbolically. I was greatly inspired by Jun ware incense burners

J: Jennie Jieun Lee @jenniejieunlee

Jennie Jieun Lee is a Korean American artist who uses clay and other materials to mimic and articulate emotional and psychological spaces. While weaving personal narratives into her ceramic sculptures and installations to emphasize textural accumulations of memory and the fragility of mortality, she continues to explore different practices and methods in clay and other materials. Her work has been shown extensively throughout the world with solo and two person shows at Martos Gallery, New York, NY;  Marlborough Contemporary: Viewing Room, New York, NY; 11R, New York, NY; Cooper Cole, Toronto, Canada; Galerie Lefebvre et fils, Paris, France; The Pit, Glendale, CA; Halsey McKay, East Hampton, NY along with groups shows at Jonathan Viner, London, UK; Shulamit Nazarian, LA, CA; Brand New Gallery, Milan, Italy and many more. Jennie is a recipient of the 2017 John Simon Guggenheim fellowship and the 2019 Art Matters Grant.

Year of the Dragon; glazed porcelain mug , hand or dishwasher safe, 3” x 3”

$250

For Wing on Wo, I have created an exclusive mug which integrates symbols associated with power, such as lightning bolts and flames around the dragon’s crown. Energy waves surrounding the dragon’s body draped around the cup will remind the drinker that they are courageous, charismatic and this year will be filled with vitality. Happy New Year!

K: Tiffany Tang @tiffanytangstudio

Mini Moon Jars

porcelain, hand wash, 5.5” x 5.5” x 5.5” (purple); 5” x 5.25” x 5.25” (pink)

$250 for each jar

In my artistic exploration, themes of beauty, imperfection, and nature's dualities come to life in my moon jars. Each crack in these vessels tells a unique story beneath the surface, embodying the transformative nature of creation's challenges. Scattered porcelain shards, resembling stardust, symbolize the idea of seeking light from the moon, finding inspiration and hope in unconventional places. Embracing the transformative nature of challenges, I discover inspiration in intentional imperfections, recognizing the unexpected sources that emerge from life's difficulties. My ceramics become a visual narrative, reflecting on life's beauty and complexity amid challenges. By integrating floral motifs and springtime themes, my work delves into the dual nature of time—hope and renewal intertwined with the inevitability of change. In essence, my creations bear witness to the enduring strength found in navigating through hardship, illustrating the profound connection between resilience and inspiration. The intentional imperfections and thoughtful symbolism within my art evoke a sense of wonder, prompting viewers to recognize the strength and inspiration that can emerge from life's difficulties—a reminder that even in challenges, there lies untapped power and beauty waiting to be discovered. 

L: Sami Tsang @samiclayee

Being genuine is central to who I am. Mediated through materials and self-reflection, my work is a raw, truthful, and spontaneous response to how I feel at a given moment. My work is inspired by a sense of urgency to ask the question, what is so pressing? The Initial sketches that inform my work are inspired by Chinese proverbs from my childhood memories. Additional themes of my work center on humor, vulnerability, challenging tradition and overcoming childhood into adulthood. When I am creating ceramic sculptures, I work from a meditative place. As the piece evolves, make additions to the work. My sculptures and drawings are representational of the different stages of my childhood and adolescence where I often felt repressed and silenced. The characters that appear in my work are responses to the moments when I felt entrapped in domestic settings, and then liberated as a Chinese Canadian woman artist. 

Dragon Cup

$120

O: Moy Chuong @see_ew_later

Moy Chuong is a queer Teochew American artist whose work explores domestic objects as containers for identity, grief, and care. Their practice draws upon personal, familial, and cultural archives, using forms such as vessels, chairs, and altars as representations of the quotidian spaces of Asian American identity formation. Through reproduction of and disidentification with ancestral veneration, including Buddhist, Taoist, and animistic rituals, their practice seeks new meaning for trans, queer, and disabled bodies that are often denied physical and emotional shelter. These containers act as a means to locate community, find collective power in trans and queer alienation, and map out the possibilities for a freer and more unruly future.

after lan caihe

stoneware, reed, 6" x 5" x 4" (round), 6" x 4" x 5" (flared), spot clean. 

after Ian caihe (round) & (flared) $275, afte Ian caihe (faux bois) $200 

To frame Wing on Wo & Co’s ‘Power As Infinite’ Lunar New Year 2024 show, Mei asked “what powers do you have? And what powers are you growing?” The pieces the series “after lan caihe” speak to my attempt to commemorate the collective queer power to confound, transcend categorization, and slip in and out of visibility. They are inspired by the flower basket, a symbol of Lan Caihe, the patron of florists and gardeners, and the only genderqueer member of the Eight Immortals of the Taoist pantheon.

P: Jenny Ibsen @jennyib

Jenny Ibsen is a Maine-based artist, restaurant worker, and organizer with a community-centered art practice.Her ceramic works are often colorful, hand-built terracotta vessels that intend to facilitate connection to food. In tandem with her ceramic practice, Jenny hosts elaborate pickle-centered meals as part of her series, fish picnic, which celebrates the Maine ocean, access to local food, and community through public and free outdoor experiences. Jenny moved to Maine in 2014 to pursue her BA at Bowdoin College. She was born in China and raised by her Scandinavian parents in Connecticut. She is a co-organizer for Tender Table and lives in Portland, Maine.

Dragon dream of warm sunsets

terracotta, underglaze; food safe & watersealed inside, but do not put in dishwasher/microwave; 4.5"x5"x5" (note: small pre-existing crack on one of the coil handles)

$250

For the past year, Jenny has explored rabbits, inspired by the Year of the Rabbit and her 3-year-old niece’s love for bunnies. As we move into a new calendar, this piece reflects a similar form and fantastical landscape to that of her other works, but celebrates the Dragon. Dragons dream of warm sunsets comes from a place of strength, dreams, and transition. The repetitive cloud pattern and the form itself create a mesmerizing and cyclical surface, echoing our existence as time continues to rotate; while the vase’s whimsicality and vibrant palette express a lighthearted nature and bright reflection of sun. 

Q: Cathy Lu @_cathyclu_

Cathy Lu (she/they) is a ceramic artist working in sculpture and installation to explore Asian-American identity, and how issues of immigration, cultural hybridity, and assimilation become accepted as part of American identity. She has participated in artist in residence programs at Recology SF, Archie Bray, and Bemis. Her work has been exhibited at Chinese Culture Center SF, A-B Projects, LA, and Galerie Du Monde in Hong Kong. Lu was a 2019 Asian Cultural Council/ Beijing Contemporary Art Foundation Fellow and a 2022 SFMOMA Seca Award winner.  She currently teaches ceramics at SMFA at Tufts University, and lives between Richmond, CA and Boston, MA. 

Nuwa Incense Holder 

$150 

R: Tiffany Saw @tiffanysawceramics

Tiffany Saw is a Brooklyn based ceramic artist and educator focused on creating functional ware that fuses traditional Burmese and Chinese imagery with a modern aesthetic. She combines the wheel throwing she learned in New York with the porcelain carving techniques she learned in Jingdezhen to enrich everyday objects with intricately carved images. 

Dragon Tumbler 

Carved Porcelain

$138 

To pay homage to the year of the dragon, I drew inspiration from 18th century bronze dragons found in Myanmar and to bring it to life carved it soaring endlessly around the cup through the clouds. It invites viewers to reflect on the transformative power of art when traditional imagery is transposed onto everyday objects, elevating them to vessels of cultural significance.

S: Jennifer Ling Datchuk @jenniferlingdatchuk

Trained in ceramics, multidisciplinary artist Jennifer Ling Datchuk works with porcelain and other materials often associated with traditional women’s work, such as textiles and hair, to discuss fragility, beauty, femininity, intersectionality, identity, and personal history. Her work is an exploration of her layered identity – as a woman, a Chinese woman, as an “American,” as a third culture kid.

Datchuk holds an MFA in Artisanry from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and a BFA in Crafts from Kent State University. She was awarded a residency through the Blue Star Contemporary Art Museum to conduct her studio practice at the Künstlerhaus Bethanien in Berlin, Germany and has participated in residencies at the Pottery Workshop in Jingdezhen, China, Vermont Studio Center, European Ceramic Work Center in the Netherlands, Artpace in San Antonio, Texas and the John Michael Kohler Arts/Industry Residency in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. In 2017, she received the Emerging Voices award from the American Craft Council and in 2020 was named a United States Artist Fellow in Craft. Her work is in the permanent collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, San Antonio Museum of Art, Ogden Museum of Art in New Orleans, and Los Angeles County Museum of Art. She is an Assistant Professor of Ceramics at Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ and lives and maintains a studio in Phoenix, Arizona.

Giddy Up and Roar (Protect, Love Yourself, Aiyah) 

Porcelain, handwash, microwave safe, 5" x 6" x 2.5"

$150 for each edition

I want to celebrate the year of the dragon by continuing to harness and celebrate the power of our voices. As the first generation, daughter of an immigrant from Guangzhou, China and of mixed race identity, I think about how to reclaim narratives put upon me that are not chosen by me and how to share the nuances and complexitites of our Asian identities and experiences. My series of cups "Giddy Up and Roar" are cowgirl boot drinking forms to give voice of the gendered cowboy boot and a nod to export ware porcelain blue and white shoes and adorned with protest expressions and sayings to remind us of the cultural, political, and social systems we are still actively fighting and challenging. 

T: Ling Chun @whoisherry

Ling Chun is a multimedia artist from Hong Kong. Her work represents the coexistence of multicultural identities within a single society. Chun’s practice focuses on creating artifacts which speak about history with a contemporary sensibility. In her execution

and conceptualization of creative projects, Chun brings together her knowledge of Chinese culture and her contemporary artistic vision. Chun aspires to create public artifacts to bring relevance to historical storytelling in her future artistic pursuits. Chun is the recipient of numerous awards including the ArtBridge Fellowship 2020 sponsored by Chihuly Garden and Glass and the national ceramic award such as NCECA emerging artist 2020. In 2019, Chun was shortlisted for the Young Master Art Prize in London and recently she was shortlisted for the 2021 Korea International Ceramics Biennale. Chun is currently based in Seattle.

This year's theme revolves around the Year of the Dragon, emphasizing the concept of "POWER." My inspiration struck upon encountering the exquisite Hong Kong Porcelain during a recent visit, marking my return after a five-year absence. For me, power manifests in the preservation of the beloved culture. This piece serves as a deliberate effort to draw attention to the intricate symbolism: dragons, peony and bats — symbolizing power, luck, and fortune. 

U: Johnathan Huang @jhuangstudio

Johnathan Huang is an illustrator, graphic designer, and ceramicist from Dallas, Texas now based in Brooklyn. He received his BFA in Illustration with an emphasis on Design from ArtCenter College of Design in Los Angeles. His ceramics stem from his own personal experiences and background as well as his ongoing search for answers as a means of understanding and existing in the world.

V: Michelle Im @ratxchicks

Michelle Im (b. Atlanta, GA) is a Korean-American ceramic artist based in Queens, NY. She is a 2024 Artist Fellow at the Museum of Art & Design and is an award recipient of the Teaching Artist Cohort, Center for Craft (2023); Emerging Artist Cohort, American Craft Council (2022); and Ceramics Monthly Emerging Artist (2022). Her residencies and fellowships include Township10 (2024); Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts (Guest Artist, 2023); Penland School of Craft (Distinguished Fellowship, 2023); and Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts (Visiting Artist, 2022). Im has exhibited at the Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis, MN (2023); Friends Artspace, Arlington, VA (2022); Swivel Gallery, Brooklyn, NY (2023); Strada, New York, NY (2023); Jane Hartsook Gallery, New York, NY (2023); and Wing on Wo & Co, New York, NY (2019). She holds a BA in Biological Sciences & Art from the University of Buffalo, SUNY and is a faculty member at Greenwich House Pottery.

When I picture a dragon like many others, I picture a ferocious creature breathing fire. With conflict that surrounds us both in our pe rsonal lives and in the world at large, I thought about how we all have the power to both start a fire and put it out. I imagined a vessel that animates the dragon as a teapot that holds the power to foster meaningful dialogue and compassionate regard for humanity through the simple act of pouring tea for another. 

W: Ellen Pong @ellen.pong

Ellen Pong is a ceramicist and designer based in Queens, New York.

$500

The end of a dragon’s tail can be found at the beginning. But everyone forgets where that is. So it keeps uncoiling itself into many places at once, poking its nose in various mythologies and imaginations. You can see its shadow in the stars, among all the other things we throw at the sky, to see what sticks.

X: Coco Lim Haas @cocolimhaas

Coco Lim Haas is a Brooklyn based artist, native to New York City. She is a lifelong multidisciplinary artist, with a focus in painted ceramics since 2018. She has exhibited her work in New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles.

Matriarch Mama 

6.3” w x 4.25” d x 4.5” h 

$275

Matriarch Mama is a treasure box inspired by a family heirloom that still holds the scent and memories of a departed relative. The design honors Coco Lim Haas’s mother and the matriarchal tradition of the Philippines. It was sculpted by Coco Lim Haas and painted with her sister, Alexa Lim Haas. 

Y: Cheyenne Yu @cheyenne.y.pepper

Cheyenne Yu is a San Francisco born, Boston based artist who recently graduated with her BFA from The School of the Museum of Fine Arts. Her work is a blend of diverse influences, deeply rooted in the power of touch and sensory experiences, while harboring a profound desire to explore and reflect on family relationships and Asian American identity.

Inner Fangs

Glazed stoneware, 5"L x 4.25"H x 8.25"W

$360

This piece is a vessel that resonates with my tenacity. Despite its modest size, the fang-like pattern adorning the walls conveys an assertive presence—an open mouth, poised to devour and articulate. Cloud-like formations adorn the sides, symbolizing strength in softness. This serves as a homage to the clouds dragons breathe, highlighting the inherent power found in gentleness. Through this vessel, it becomes a manifestation of resilience and the evolving strength within. 

AA: Hana Sun @hanamoons

Hana Sun is a potter based in NYC. She is inspired by family stories, animal behavior in the social environment, and kai nui lifestyle. In 2009, Hana took her first ceramics class in Honolulu, Hawaii and has been amazed by the endless possibilities of clay ever since. She aims to make pieces that integrate fun and sculpture into every day life.

peace bell

Stoneware, nylon cord, 5” x 4.25” x 5.75”, wipe with damp cloth when needed

$160

Bells are a common symbol and promise of peace. This piece was inspired by the mountains, the seas, and my belief that peace is power.