Artist Highlight - Verona Shi

1. Your works such as Stone, Water, and Fungi draw from natural phenomena through the lens of WuXing philosophy. How do these elemental references guide the development of each form?

My work is rooted in the Daoist philosophy of Wu Xing—the five elements of gold, wood, water, fire, and earth—which frames how the world forms and transforms. Through this lens, I understand time as something embedded in all natural phenomena, from ocean waves to weathered stone or dried wood. As a painter working with ceramics, I aim to capture these traces and contain them within form. Stone reflects geological time and stability, Water expresses flow and change, and Fungi suggests growth and decay. Each element guides a distinct temporal state, making every work a container of time.

2. You describe ceramics as a “living history book.” How do glaze reactions and firing processes record the passage of time within the surface of the work?

Ceramics function as a kind of living history because clay records every gesture—fingerprints, marks, and pressures—which become permanent through firing. In the kiln, the work undergoes transformation shaped by heat, atmosphere, and chemical reactions. Glaze surfaces develop through these interactions, forming unpredictable effects such as crystallization or carbon trapping. These surface changes act as a record of the firing process, where each variation reflects a specific moment and condition that cannot be repeated. The final piece becomes an archive of its own making, preserving a unique intersection of time, material, and environment.

3. The series challenges the idea of time as a measurable, linear system. How does the material process allow time to become visible within the objects?

This series challenges the idea of time as linear by approaching the ceramic-making process as a microcosm of natural phenomena. Clay, as an earth-derived material, records every intervention—fingerprints and manipulation embedded in the body as the form is shaped, alongside traces of heat, atmosphere, and chemical interaction. These forces leave visible marks on the surface, echoing how natural cycles are recorded through seasonal change. Rather than measuring time, the work embodies it. Each surface trace reflects duration, transformation, and unpredictability, making time material and perceptible within the object.

4. Your practice merges philosophical ideas with material chemistry. How do these two systems of knowledge interact during the making process?

My practice brings together philosophical thinking and material chemistry through observation and experimentation. Translating abstract ideas like time into physical form is challenging, but I find connections in how materials record change. We often understand time through physical evidence, such as tree rings that reveal growth and age. Similarly, clay captures each stage of making, from manipulation to firing, accumulating these traces as a form of memory. Through this process, philosophy and material chemistry become intertwined, and the ceramic object emerges as a container that holds both conceptual meaning and the record of its own transformation.

5. Each piece appears shaped by natural rhythms such as erosion, growth, or sedimentation. How do you translate these processes into ceramic form?

In my work, I intentionally reduce emphasis on distinct form, often shaping pieces as simple blocks or book-like structures. This blurs clear identification and shifts attention toward the surface. I want viewers to focus on textures and marks that suggest natural processes such as erosion, growth, or sedimentation. These surfaces function like images that capture a moment within an ongoing process. Rather than defining what the object is, the work invites observation and reflection, allowing viewers to sense time as something embedded in the material and experienced in the present.

6. Glaze plays a central role in the visual language of the work. How do you approach experimentation with glaze as both a scientific and expressive medium?

Glaze is often understood through a scientific lens, as it is fundamentally the result of chemical reactions. However, within this framework, I see space for expression. By working with glaze formulas, I experiment with combinations and interactions, allowing materials to react and produce unexpected results. At its core, glaze is composed of natural elements—minerals originating from the earth. I approach these experiments as observations of natural phenomena, where reactions unfold beyond full control. In this way, I position myself as both researcher and observer, allowing the material to reveal its own temporal and expressive qualities.

7. The vessels function as what you call “Sensory Archives.” What kinds of experiences or traces do you hope the material preserves?

I think of the ceramic process as analogous to the formation of natural phenomena. Each work is not the result of a single action, but a chain of interconnected conditions unfolding over time. For example, a wave appears as a unified form, yet it is shaped by wind, pressure, and movement—forces that become connected through time. Similarly, the vessel records human intervention, heat, and material reactions as one continuous process. As “Sensory Archives,” these works preserve not fixed narratives, but relationships between events—capturing how multiple forces are bound together and made perceptible through time.

8. Within The Invisible Made Visible, your work reveals hidden temporal processes within clay and glaze. What do you hope viewers begin to perceive differently about time when encountering these pieces?

We often understand time as something linear, measurable, and even burdensome. Through this work, I aim to shift that perception by making time visible and material—embedded in the surfaces of clay and glaze. By encountering these objects, viewers are invited to slow down and engage with time as something they can physically sense. The marks and transformations within each piece reflect a gradual rhythm of change. I hope this experience encourages a more embodied awareness of time—where it is no longer a source of pressure, but a space for reflection and connection.