Hong Hao

The solo exhibition of new work by the Chinese conceptual artist Hong Hao, which centered on the development history of porcelain. The artist arranges ancient porcelain shards purchased on relic trading platforms into specific patterns reminiscent of cosmic images such as the asteroid belt. In this colorful geometric composition, pieces of porcelain fall gently on the canvas, revealing their original state to the viewer.

The pale blue and smooth texture of Song Dynasty porcelain evokes specific historical memories and narratives. As the pinnacle of the beauty of ancient Chinese craftsmanship, porcelain was once reserved for royalty. Fragments not picked for the royal family were broken up and buried to prevent others from taking them into their property. A thousand years later, these discarded fragments caught the attention of researchers, and they began to circulate as commodities, traded and collected by the public.

In one of his new works, the Everchanging Appearance No. 32 (2022), the artist uses plastic gels that are exposed to different temperatures to produce a fragmented texture, like the "ice cracks" of ancient porcelain. Controlling ambient temperature in the way of ancient artisans explores interesting contrasts of random and meticulous aspects of the process, reflecting the artificial construction of aesthetic taste. In this sense, folk aesthetics have become a ready-made material, which has been skillfully and accurately used by artists in their works.
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