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August Issue 2004
Tyndall Galleries in Chapel Hill, NC, Features Works by Ellen Kong
Tyndall Galleries in Chapel Hill, NC, is presenting the exhibit, Clay Work: A Painterly Approach, featuring works by Ellen Kong from Aug. 18 through Sept. 25, 2004.
This rich array of clay works documents Kong's passionate explorations in the possibilities of surface design with three different firing techniques. Her ceramic work emanates from her energy and training as a painter. To her, shaping clay is simply painting in space, transforming strong two dimensional images and brilliant colors into three-dimensional forms. Airbrush, masking, and collage techniques enhance the surface textures. This group of works includes several luscious sequences, including the Concert on the Terrace, the Caribbean Series, and the Garden Tapestry II.
In contrast to the bright, radiant, oxidation-fired pieces, Kong utilizes smoke firing to create rich, luminous earth tone surfaces. The delightful Mama- san Series combines the skill and discipline of traditional oriental painting techniques with the unpredictable smoke from a sawdust-firing kiln. There are also several personal and emotional pieces in this group that transmit internal visions concurrent with external reality. The Cascade of Serenity, Moonlight Sonata, Memory Books and Music Stops But The Song Remains are good examples.
The flame-licking Raku kiln produces dramatic pieces – the elegant kimonos embellished with lustrous glazes and intricate textural designs, and the Butterfly Fanfare hosting fifteen butterflies in a playful formation. They give viewers a poetic fantasy and rich visual experiences.
Many conceptual seeds sown long ago have germinated in past three years, bearing fruit in the works currently displayed at this show. This metamorphosis reflects and resonates with Kong's own passage from painter to potter, adding the complex dimensions to her canvas and the radiant fire to her palette.
Kong received a BFA from Taiwan University, an MFA from UNC-Greensboro, and studied further at Penland and Idyllwild School of Music & the Arts in California. Last year, Kong was selected as the featured artist in the 10th Anniversary Art Exhibition of Toyama, Toyama, Japan. Recently retired, she taught Art at Durham Academy for many years and is the author of The Great Clay Adventure, a book for children.
For further information check our NC Commercial Gallery listings, call the gallery at 919/942-2290 or at (www.tyndallgalleries.com).
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