A New Beginning

After 30 years in the corporate world, I decided to take the plunge to pursue my love for art and artistic expression. This in large part, is thanks to the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. I came to the realisation that life is indeed short and I had no time to waste, and should not put off pursuing my passion.

As a ceramics artist, clay and glaze serves as my chosen medium for exploring ideas and expressing my concerns. Through my ceramic art work, I try to communicate my experiences, express my views about current issues or provoke thought and discussion.  My current portfolio can be distilled into several themes like the Bedok Reservoir Park, Molten, Freedom and My Family series.

The Bedok Reservoir Park series documents my experience and observation of the park, which began as a direct consequence of the lockdown in Singapore at the start of the pandemic. Exploration of my surroundings in the park enabled me to cope with the stress and anxiety of the lockdown and provided inspiration for figurative expression of form and textures.

The Molten series reflects on the mix of clay and layers of glazes applied on the surface of the pots being a melting pot of molten, which is a metaphor for our multiracial society, and a commentary on diversity in race, cultures, sexual orientation, mental illness and physical disabilities.

The Freedom series reflects the freedom in my use and application of glaze and exploration of forms within the process of self-discovery and realisation. Rooted in freedom of expression with an underlying narrative on the minimalistic use of materials, it is a response to the dialog of environmental degradation and echos the call to Recycle, Reuse and Reduce. I am also using ash and other glazes in such a way as to recreate a wood fired effect on the pots while minimising the impact to the environment.

An off-shoot of the Bedok Reservoir Park series is the My Family series, which examines the construct of the family unit and nuances in relationships within a family. It challenges stereotypes and beliefs about the constitution of a family.

As I grow as an artist, your feedback and support would be greatly appreciated. Please do leave me comments on www.Instagram.com/@johnleongck or www.Facebook.com/Johnckleong.