Zhunmu Ceramics Studio, the balance between craftsmanship, beauty and life

Q1: Why did you name your ceramic studio “zhunmu”? Does it have any special meaning?

"zhun" means breaking out of the ground while "mu" stands for plants. We’d like to compare ourselves to the vibrant new shoots rising from the earth.

Q2: What inspires you in your ceramic creations?

We’re inspired by our lives and the power of life. We have become more connected to nature since we moved to the suburbs. The inspiration comes from the little incidents in life as we watch the seasons change and experience the circle of life.

Q3: How do you define your style for “zhunmu”?

I find it hard to make a definition. For us, earth is a material of great plasticity and the ceramic art is our most familiar way of expression. They are the pen and paper for us to record our feelings about life and nature. We are keen on experimenting with different techniques and combinations in ceramic making at Zhunmu Studio and finding a balance between craftsmanship, beauty and life. Serenity is gained during this process and we start to make genuine reflection on the meaning of life.

Q4: Tell us about your favourite piece and its story.

We are attached to each piece we made. A project comes to its closure at the studio when we finish it in ceramic, but we will relive the thoughts and approaches every time we think about it.

If there has to be a favourite, I’d say it is our next project: it will reflect the growth of technique as well as our mind after all the exploration we go through.

Q5: How do you look at the connection between ceramic art and nature?

Like I mentioned earlier, ceramics are the medium we are most familiar with. We integrate our perception of life and nature into the clay and put the most genuine emotions into shape.

Q6: What’s the concept you want to express through your works?

We weren't thinking about building a concept for the audience. Our works are the results of how we actually felt and we don't want to be the manipulator of the material in our hands, because we know being deliberate sometimes deviates from the most simple and true. We are very happy though, to see the audience relate to our work and start thinking.

We made all the ceramic utensils in our homes, good quality and rather functional. We also sell some of these housewares to pay the studio bills. It strikes us as a wonderful surprise when we found out the jug I drink cold water from at home is used as a vase by the client. 

Source: Zhunmu Ceramics Studio