Sami Tsang
Ceramic Art
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Artist Statement
Growing up as the youngest child of a conservative Hong Kong family, my voice was not welcomed. The ability to speak faded away. At 12, I moved back to Canada, where a series of traumatic issues were created by the constant flux amidst two cultures - Chinese and Western. At 20, I began to resist my traditional role. Every day, I process my progress. I gather stories of domestic encounters and private narratives. Simultaneously, I find relationships between these stories and the materials I use in my practice, such as resin, rice paper and ball point pen. I ask: Is clay actually the old grump? Does making a humorous sculpture help me to strip down guilt? Can using ball point pen bring back innocence?
In Chinese culture, it is forbidden to speak of family shame. M y ultimate goal is to face head-on the heavy hearted matter. When the heart allows, I convert these stories through the work of cartoonistic gesture into bearable, yet straightforward imagery to reveal the raw emotional experiences we share. Overtime, I hope the sweet anticipation for mooncake parties will become fruitful.
Bio
I am a Canadian-born Chinese and was raised in Hong Kong. The most impactful experience I had there was studying traditional Chinese painting for 7 years. At age 12, I returned to Canada to pursue my passion for art.
From a young age, expressing myself through art has always felt essential. I decided to move from Hong Kong to Canada for the specialized art program at H. B. Beal Secondary School. Beal introduced me to a wider range of visual arts, including painting and ceramics. In 2015, I continued to study Ceramic Art at Sheridan College. At Sheridan, I was introduced to the clay community, and I was given lots of guidance from my professors and peers for the next steps in my career. Currently, I am in my final year of the Master of Fine Art - Ceramic Art at Alfred University in New York State.
![Standing figure on top of tiles table](_images/01tsang_sami-660x878.jpg)
Sweet Anticipation // Stoneware, engobe, glaze, resin, ballpoint pen, acrylic, wood, clear tape, paper // 50 inches h x 18 inches w x 26 inches d
![Green hair figure with long yellow tongue](_images/02tsang_sami-660x780.jpg)
At My Place // Stoneware, engobe, glaze, resin, fabric, nail art, polymer clay, clay epoxy // 22 inches h x 23 inches w x 19 inches d
![Two figures on the floor. Standing figure is teasing boy figure. Boy figure is picking his nose and tuning out.](_images/03tsang_sami-660x878.jpg)
I’m An Only Child // Stoneware, glaze, underglaze, resin, fabric, polymer clay, clay epoxy, acrylic, carpet // 30 inches h x 16 inches w x 16 inches d
![Purple figure with fabric fish below](_images/04tsang_sami-660x868.jpg)
Can We Eat Yet // Stoneware, slip, glaze, resin, clay epoxy, enamel, fake eye lashes, fabric, jade // 29 inches h x 23 inches w x 18 inches d
![Small purple figure being squished by bathtub. Another figure sitting inside of the bathtub.](_images/05tsang_sami-660x592.jpg)
Bathtub Story 2 // Stoneware, engobe, glaze, resin, clay epoxy, acrylic, cement paste // 34 inches h x 37 inches w x 25 inches d
![Purple smiley face vase. four figures and golden-yellow fabric.](_images/06tsang_sami-660x550.jpg)
(Left) Long-distance Battle // Stoneware, engobe, glaze // 10.5 inches h x 6 inches w x 7 inches d
(Middle) I Know My Place // Stoneware, engobe, glaze, resin, fabric, clay epoxy // 15 inches h x 12 inches w x 9 inches d
(Right) His Bad Days // Stoneware, engobe, glaze, resin, tissue paper, polymer clay, clay epoxy, metal hinge, acrylic // 15 inches h x 12 inches w x 9 inches d
![Blue figures around dinner table.](_images/07tsang_sami-660x656.jpg)
Simply A Meal // Canvas painting, acrylic // 24 inches h x 24 inches w
![Rice paper figure coming out of circular jar, pink angry figure is dangling.](_images/08tsang_sami-660x837.jpg)
Unhanding Heritage // Rice paper, ink, nail art, stoneware, engobe, glaze, resin, clay epoxy, acrylic, chain // 19 inches h x 9 inches w x 6.5 inches d
![Oversized head tipped over, purple tear. Two small figures on top of large figure.](_images/09tsang_sami-660x740.jpg)
Mooncake Party // Stoneware, slip, glaze, resin, ballpoint pen, jade, ceramic tiles // 19 inches h x 11 inches w x 11 inches d
![Grandma goblet with little girl charm dangling](_images/10tsang_sami-660x660.jpg)
Well Behaved Timidity // Stoneware, engobe, glaze, resin, chain, clay epoxy, enamel, nail art // 8 inches h x 5 inches w x 4 inches d