Nanxi Jin: Selected works, 2020-2024
As a Chinese-American artist, I have lived in the United States for the past twelve years, grappling with my dual identity and the tension between cultural influences. Despite this, I still experience a certain sense of detachment from the American community, as though I am an observer rather than a fully assimilated member. It is this part of my identity which I seek to express through clay. I come from Jingdezhen—China’s porcelain capital—where I was first introduced to the profound history and craftsmanship by my parents. Jingdezhen is an artistic anchor for me. My practice is grounded in these traditional techniques and imbued with my lived experience as an immigrant.
In this way, my art becomes a bridge between two cultures. I draw inspiration from Eastern gestures and techniques, blending them with the textures, colors, and expansive horizons of the Western landscapes that I experience and immerse myself in. This synthesis creates an aesthetic dialogue which is simultaneously interested in both tradition and innovation, the familiar and the foreign. Through this interplay, I unpack the complexities of identity, belonging, and the paradox of cultural assimilation.
Procedure, 2024
Procedure, solo show at the Longquan Wangou Tao Xichuan Cultural and Creative Block Yi Gallery, Longquan, China
In October-December 2024, I participated in an artist residency program in the Longquan Research Institute. During my residency, I spent several days of studio visits, research, and learning about traditional vessels, local craftsmanship, and the celadon production line and I became deeply inspired by the intricate, multi-step process of celadon production. I moved my workplace to Oujiang Celadon, the largest celadon dinnerware factory and in six weeks, I prepared a series of celadon pieces for my first solo exhibition in China. These experiences deepened my connection to my cultural heritage. I was privileged enough to work alongside local artisans in Longquan, a city which is recognized by UNESCO as a hub for intangible cultural heritage for their celadon firing techniques. This series of work has encouraged me to take risks: to use fragments, discarded forms, and even failure as material; to blend installation with object-making; and to treat ceramics as a language for personal and cultural storytelling.
Captions
- Intertwined, 2024, Porcelain, 4 × 4 × 8 inches each. Photo by Daren Jin
- Survive, 2024, Porcelain, 8.5 × 6 × 10 inches. Photo by Daren Jin
- Dance, 2024, Porcelain, 14 × 8 × 24 inches. Photo by Daren Jin
- Soldier, 2024, various sizes. Photo by Daren Jin
- Coat Hangers, 2024, Porcelain, 17 × 17 × 70 inches each. Photo by Daren Jin
- Stretch, 2024, Porcelain, 18 × 5.5 × 10 inches. Photo by Daren Jin
- Soldier (detail) 1, 2024, 12 × 4 × 20 inches. Photo by Daren Jin
- Soldier (detail) 2, 2024, 7 × 4 × 23 inches. Photo by Daren Jin
- Grow, 2024, Porcelain, 9 × 1.5 × 11.5 inches. Photo by Daren Jin
- Installation view, Procedure, Longquan Wangou Tao Xichuan Cultural and Creative Block Yi Gallery, Longquan, China, December 2024
- Flow 1, 2024, 3.5 × 3.5 × 14 inches. Photo by Wenwei Jin
- Flow 2, 2024, 2.5 × 2.5 × 10.5 inches. Photo by Wenwei Jin
- Flow 3, 2024, 3 × 3 × 10 inches. Photo by Wenwei Jin
- Flow 4, 2024, 3 × 3 × 11 inches. Photo by Wenwei Jin
- Flow 5, 2024, 6 × 4.5 × 12.5 inches. Photo by Wenwei Jin
- Flow 6, 2024, 3 × 3 × 9.5 inches. Photo by Wenwei Jin
- Escape Plan, 2022, Terra cotta, various sizes. Photo by Travis Roozee
- Escape Plan (detail) 1, 2022, Terra cotta, various sizes. Photo by I-Peng Tang
- Escape Plan (detail) 2, 2022, Terra cotta, 18 × 7 × 3 inches. Photo by Travis Roozee
- At the Moment, 2021, Terra cotta and wood, 4 × 9 ft. Photo by Nanxi Jin
- Shift, 2020, Terra cotta, various sizes. Photo by Nanxi Jin
