STORY: Hong Kong ceramicist breathes life into floral sculptures
DATELINE: Aug. 8, 2023
LENGTH: 00:03:12
LOCATION: HONG KONG, China
CATEGORY: CULTURE/SOCIETY
 
SHOTLIST:
1. various of floral sculptures
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): LEO WONG, Hong Kong ceramicist
3. various of floral sculptures
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): LEO WONG, Hong Kong ceramicist
5. SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): LEO WONG, Hong Kong ceramicist
6. various of making sculptures
7. various of floral sculptures
8. SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): LEO WONG, Hong Kong ceramicist
9. SOUNDBITE 5 (Chinese): LEO WONG, Hong Kong ceramicist
10. SOUNDBITE 6 (Chinese): LEO WONG, Hong Kong ceramicist
 
STORYLINE:
 
With over 10 manufacturing processes and firing at a high temperature of 1,300 degrees Celsius, after 12 hours of heating and 12 hours of cooling, a vivid clay peony flower "blooms" under the skillful hands of Leo Wong, a Hong Kong ceramicist.
 
In July, Wong showcased his creations at a Hong Kong cultural event, the French May Arts Festival. His visual art exhibition, titled "Chinoiserie: Enduring Allure of the Far East," was well received by the audience.
 
"As a lover of flowers, I am on a quest to employ modern techniques in recreating the everlasting beauty of flowers with clay," said Wong.
 
SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): LEO WONG, Hong Kong ceramicist
"'She (flowers) may fall to the ground and turn into dust, but her essence will ever be sweet.' I think flowers have a very short life. They will wither in two weeks, and finally turn into dust. People often say, 'Fallen flowers turn into spring soil to nourish blooms.' But it's not enough for me. So, I studied how to give eternal life to flowers through clay. I turned flowers into ceramics."
 
Wong's penchant for ceramic art traces back to his childhood years. He grew up in his grandparents' garden, sprawling nearly 3,000 square feet in Hong Kong's New Territories.
 
SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): LEO WONG, Hong Kong ceramicist
"I remember my grandma searching for chicken and duck eggs along the fields with me every week. She taught me the names of flowers, fruits and grasses. So I grew up with a lot of contact with the elements in nature. Especially I like to play mud in the fields, sculpting my favorite dolls with soil by hands. I believe this enlightened me of being a ceramicist."
 
After completing his university education, fueled by his deep fascination with the intricacies of nature, Wong pursued a career as a landscape designer.
 
During an overseas exchange program, he was bewitched by a ceramic flower adorning a vase in a European castle. This encounter rekindled his joyful memories of sculpting figures with clay during his childhood.
 
Contemplating the exquisite craftsmanship of traditional ceramic flowers, Wong pondered how modern technology could be leveraged to make the ceramic flower petals thinner and non-reflective, allowing them to appear not only beautiful but also lifelike.
 
Upon his return to Hong Kong, Wong sought apprenticeship and immersed himself in the study of Lingnan ceramic culture. He delved into extensive research on ancient and contemporary ceramic literature while experimenting with various techniques and formulas.
 
SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): LEO WONG, Hong Kong ceramicist
"In ancient times, without electricity, people had to use firewood to fire ceramics. I think if ancient people can make such beautiful ceramic flowers, then with the help of equipment, more accurate thermometers, reference materials, and deeper understanding of ceramics, modern people can make them more beautiful and vivid in diverse themes. With the help of all these techniques, I want to make my creations more beautiful than the ancient ones."
 
Through his exploration, he discovered that the traditional method of glazing ceramics resulted in thick and reflective petals. To overcome this challenge, he incorporated ceramic glaze directly into the clay for flower-making. This innovative approach rendered the ceramic petals thinner and translucent, infusing each petal with an essence of lifelikeness.
 
Using porcelain clay enriched with kaolin, fired at temperatures up to 1,300 degrees Celsius, comparable to volcanic magma temperature, Wong achieved a crystalline and translucent texture in his ceramic flowers.
 
SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): LEO WONG, Hong Kong ceramicist
"My works can't look like artificial. First the flowers need to be asymmetric. Each petal differs from the other in shape and position, looking dynamic. I want my flowers to look as if they were blown by wind. I want to showcase motion in calmness. I want to see life in my flowers."
 
Among all flowers, peony holds a special place in Wong's heart. However, due to Hong Kong's hot and humid climate, peonies, which thrive in cooler temperatures, struggle to grow in the region. Consequently, many Hong Kong residents have limited opportunities to appreciate the majestic beauty of peonies.
 
To better capture the beauty of the peony, Wong often seeks inspiration from the poetry of Tang and Song dynasties. "The peony has been popular since the Tang Dynasty (618-907), and numerous poets have woven their words into enchanting verse to extol the flower," Wong said.
 
When coloring and shaping the form of ceramic peonies, ancient poetry's imagery consistently serves as a wellspring of inspiration for him.
 
SOUNDBITE 5 (Chinese): LEO WONG, Hong Kong ceramicist
"I love the poetry of Tang and Song dynasties, especially the poetry of Song Dynasty, so I want to incorporate the beauty of the poetry of Song Dynasty into my flowers. I studied not only how to achieve the effect of 'resemblance in shape', but 'resemblance in spirit' in my works. I think that's the difference between my works and other ceramic flowers made at all times and in all over the world."
 
SOUNDBITE 6 (Chinese): LEO WONG, Hong Kong ceramicist
"I want to lift the aesthetic level to literature. This is also how I put my love for Chinese literature into my works."
 
Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Hong Kong, China.
(XHTV)