About the Artist Wanying Liang: https://shop.wanyingliang.com/pages/about-the-artist
After months of anticipation and the physical labor of building out my new 1,100-square-foot ceramic studio here in Pittsford, New York, the space is finally breathing. With a quiet mix of reverence and excitement, I recently unloaded the very first kiln firing.
This inaugural load was dedicated entirely to the functional vessel—specifically, porcelain cups.
For nearly a decade since moving to the United States, my practice has been deeply rooted in sculptural work, most notably the Woman as Vessel series. I had become so completely immersed in the conceptual weight and scale of sculpture that I had almost forgotten the intimate, tactile rhythm of creating functional ware. Yet, making cups and bowls was the foundational language I learned when I first touched clay. It is akin to the first bite of food one eats as a child; that initial flavor defines your palate forever.
Having been away from the wheel for nearly a year during the studio’s construction, I felt compelled to use this fundamental method to reacquaint myself with the material. Returning to the cup was my way of finding the pulse of this new space.
The Quiet Geography of the Studio
Here in the Northeast, winter dictates the rhythm of our lives for nearly half the year. The morning of this throwing session followed a heavy snowstorm. Stepping out into that pristine, white landscape is always a profoundly moving experience. The world is muffled, stark, and deeply still.
Even the act of shoveling the path from the house to the studio became a form of moving meditation. The mind quiets; there is only the physical exertion, the thick powder, and the crisp air. By the time I reached my wheel, my children were already out on the hill with their sleds, fully present in the joy of the snow. There is a wisdom in that immediate, unburdened presence, and it is exactly the mindset required when working with porcelain.
Form and Memory on the Wheel
Porcelain is an exacting material, and the freezing temperatures in the studio meant the clay felt like solid ice. I relied on a bucket of hot water to temper the material and coax it into center.
The throwing process is an exercise in muscle memory. I had carefully calculated the dimensions needed, factoring in the high shrinkage rate inherent to this specific porcelain body. But beyond the mathematics of centering, opening, and pulling the walls, I wanted these vessels to possess a quiet autonomy. For several of the cups, I introduced a subtle, natural distortion to the rims. This gentle warping breaks the strict symmetry of the wheel, allowing the clay to retain a sense of organic movement.
Once the forms reached leather-hard, the refinement process began. Using a trusted tungsten steel trimming tool, I established the foot rings and finalized the exterior profiles. Attaching the pulled handles requires absolute precision; the seams must be compressed meticulously to ensure the structural integrity of the joint through the intense stresses of the drying and firing cycles.
Glaze Chemistry and Atmospheric Dialogue
Glazing is always a delicate balance between precise chemistry and artistic intuition. After a successful bisque firing, the porous porcelain is prepared for the final surface treatment. I sieve my glazes rigorously to ensure a flawless application, but my approach to the decoration is dictated entirely by the individual architecture of each cup.
Opening a kiln is a humbling dialogue with heat and atmosphere. You must accept both the intended results and the material deviations.
In this load, a delicate pink glaze I had formulated experienced severe crawling—a defect where the glaze separates during the melt, exposing the bare clay underneath. While structurally imperfect, the resulting texture and color density were visually arresting, far more compelling than my original intention. It is a variable I now plan to isolate, test, and refine in future firings.
Conversely, the firing yielded moments of quiet perfection. One specific cup emerged with a glaze interaction that mirrors the exact atmosphere of a snowy lake here in Upstate New York. It is a permanent record of the winter day it was thrown.
Every vessel from this inaugural firing carries its own distinct temperament. They represent a bridge between my sculptural past and the daily rituals of the present.
Watch the full process and studio environment in my latest video journal: [Link to YouTube Video]
Available Works: A curated selection of successful pieces from this exact kiln load is available on Wanying Liang Ceramic Art Store: Shop.Wanyingliang.com