Wendy Ma is a Meanjin/Brisbane-based potter and kintsugi artist whose ceramic practice sits alongside her work as a business banker and arts facilitator. Creating ceramics began as a therapeutic outlet and has since grown into a small creative practice, producing limited collections alongside the Japanese art of kintsugi.
Over the years, Ma’s work has been shared through local exhibitions, art fairs and markets, including the Clayschool Alumni Show, Paper Boat Press and the Affordable Art Fair Brisbane’s Discover: Young Talent exhibition. She continues to make small collections under the name Kaomoji Ceramics, fitting her creative practice around her work as a business banker and arts facilitator.
In this Colour Box Studio interview, she shares how ceramics became a form of meditation, the balance of maintaining a creative practice alongside her day jobs, and why she’s looking forward to bringing more people together through upcoming pottery and kintsugi workshops.
Images provided by the artist.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do.
I am a potter and kintsugi artist (I restore and repair ceramic pieces with gold). I generally make very limited runs and collections when I have the time between my day jobs as a business banker and arts facilitator (I lead art sessions with people living with disabilities). I am passionate and inspired by the act of creating and a lot of my ceramic works explore my connection with heritage and memories.
How did you start your creative practice and why?
I started potting about ten years ago primarily as a therapeutic and creative outlet. I kind of just fell into it and have been fortunate enough to be encouraged and supported by the Brisbane community – friends have asked me to be apart of shows, to be stocked in their store or to be in their art market. From there it feels like it has evolved to a little side business/hobby. I just like to make as a form of meditation and it feels nice to be able to share what I make, otherwise you end up hoarding so many objects. I enjoy getting them out into the world.
Where did you grow up and how has it influenced your practice?
I was born in Hong Kong and grew up in Brisbane most of my life. I have family over there and we visit almost each year. I feel fortunate to have a strong connection to my birthplace and more recently I have been more mindful of preserving this – through food (cooking and learning to make traditional Chinese medicine soups with mum) and language to keep the strong connection. I explore a lot of this through my recent work featuring scenes from Hong Kong cinema.
Tell us about your past creative projects. What has been your most treasured creation so far?
Favourite thing I made is a vase that one of our close friends now owns. It’s the largest vase I made and it began as an experiment. The vase is about 40cm tall and has 3 dragons wound around it competing for an orb. It is finished in a deep jade green glaze. This one was shown at some very special shows that I was honoured to be apart of because of the amazing communities these places have fostered; Clayschool Alumni Show and Paper Boat Press, in a show called wordclay.
Tell us about your current project work?
Currently I have been working on a few exciting workshops that will be revealed later this year! One will be a hand-building one focusing on small vases inspired by the Chinese Zodiac and a Kintsugi one. I can’t say where and when yet as it’s all being developed at the moment, but it will be coming to a gallery/museum around QLD.
Who or what inspires your practice?
Living life and talking to people. I find inspiration from conversations with friends and artists, from movies and memories. It comes from everywhere, for custom pieces I use other people’s treasured family photos too.
Where do you feel most creative and why?
I needs bouts of being idle and not actively creating. It gives me time to stew on ideas but I like keeping my studio clutter free, minimal and small. I thrive with limitations otherwise I am overwhelmed with all the possibilities. I feel the most creative whilst in a particular state of mind where I have been experimenting with other mediums, pressure free. Then I will go back to the wheel and make good work.
What do you hope audiences take from your work?
I just want to brighten up someone’s day! Best compliment was an art collector who travelled from Melbourne to acquire 3 of my pieces at Affordable Art Fair. At a fair that big I was honoured he was interested in my work. Sometimes I wonder about being able to receive more critique so I can improve my craft. I think it’s hard while I am not working within a pottery studio with other people. Working alone, you can be in your own echo chamber perhaps. I think critique can also make you better and push your practice.
What gets you through creative challenges or tough industry times?
I have a consistent part time day job so it takes the pressure off being able to feed myself. I like that balance and that way I can just make what I want to. I like how I can make when I have the love and energy to feed the practice, that’s important to me to put work out work that isn’t necessarily all about making the sale or trying to cater to the market.
What future projects are you looking forward to?
I never thought I would but more workshops and sharing my skill and practice with the community!
Whose work are you digging at the moment?
Music – Clea, Lake Kelly (Harpist), 3ndles5.
Clothes – Obelias the label clothing, Nature of Mercury.
Painter – Aleja Hine, Toya Robinson
Where can we find and follow you online?
All images provided by the artist.
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