「大器逍遙」2018 徐永旭個展 Unfettered Encompassment-Hsu Yunghsu Solo Exhibition

Unfettered Encompassment-
Hsu Yunghsu Solo Exhibition
Text | Liao Jen-I (Art critic and director of the Graduate Institute of Museum Studies, Taipei National University of the Arts)
1. Sculptural Form of the Body
Hsu Yunghsu's work embodies the art of sculpture, the art of thinking as well as the realization of life. Ever
since he dived into the creation of ceramic sculptures, he has been steadfastly nurturing the symbiotic
union between himself and clay as well as the depth of their dialogue. After three decades of efforts since
he first captured the world's attention in the 1990s, he has already created his distinctive style of ceramic
sculpture. As of today, he enjoys international accolades and has introduced rich and multiple structures
and shapes into this art form, expanding it with an unprecedented and magnificent vision.
Hsu was born in Kaohsiung, Taiwan in 1955. After graduating from National Pingtung Teachers College in
1975, he worked as an elementary school teacher. He was once a celebrated Chinese zither musician. In
1987, he founded his own ceramic studio; and in 1992, he became a student of ceramic artist Yang Wen-
Ni. Eventually in 1998, he gave up his teaching position and twenty-two years of seniority, along with his
established music career, and became fully dedicated to the making of art for life. In 2007, under the
tutelage of Chang Ching-Yuan, he obtained an MFA from Tainan National University of the Arts.
With exuberant creativity, Hsu soon entered the professional art scene. From 1992 onward, he gradually
established his initial style in making art and received much international attention. Not only was he
frequently invited for international exhibitions, his works were covered as feature stories and reviewed by
international ceramic art journals.
stage, his work embodied the Surrealist tradition, exuding a sense of humor from the appearance but
conveying social implications.
(3) The Stage of Abstract Expressionism (2004-2005): This style can be observed in his Mythology series
and other seemingly fragmented or partial sculptures with simple forms. Although this stage only lasted
a brief period of time, during which the artist created a very small number of works, it was nevertheless a
crucial stage as Hsu shifted from figural depiction to non-figural representation.
(4) The Stage of Process Art (2005-2012): During this stage, Hsu adopted the approach of installation art
to display his works, and subtly incorporated elements of conceptual art and performance art into his
creative process. In 2007, his Theatre of Clay series featured "massive yet incredibly thin" clay sculptures
that underwent the process of kiln-firing. According to the artist, these works were created in the
attempt to surpass his own physical limitations.
(5) The Stage of Metaphysical Aesthetics (2012-present): At this stage, while continuing the creative
context of the Theatre of Clay series, he has also entered a transformative period. On the one hand, he
has started adding a large amount of small sculptural elements into large structures in the Theatre of
Clay series, developing structures reminiscent of the assemblage art. On the other hand, he also uses
these small sculptural units individually and extends them into enormous, magnificent sculptures by
layering or juxtaposing them.
From 1992 to 2012, Hsu's art demonstrated bountiful sculptural characteristics and aesthetic meanings,
displaying vividly recognizable stages of development. Presently, his creative career can be divided into
five stages 1 :
2. Surpassing Boundaries
(1) The Stage of Vitalism (1992-1997): The theme of this stage is "Drama of Life", which includes two
types of works. The first one refers to his early works derived from a single sculptural element; and the
second refers to his series inspired by dance poses and characterized by a sense of musicality.
(2) The Stage of Surrealism (1997-2004): This style was materialized by his Places series. During this
Since 2012, Hsu has embarked on a journey of exceeding his own limit. During this time, the works he
created have showed changes in sculptural forms and structures, and redefined the aesthetics of his art.
Material-wise, Hsu makes sure the hardness of the clay undergoes precise and careful inspection;
meanwhile, he also makes sure that he creates specific techniques for the sculpting and firing procedures