Artist statement
I love ceramics for the process and the infinite possibilities.
It teaches me that there are things I can control and when it’s time to let go.
I come across challenges and I get to test my skills and ingenuity to overcome or find another method to achieve my goals – to convey my ideas and make the piece I want.
The triple challenge of overcoming obstacles, communicating and creating a piece of art is so much fun even when I make a mistake.
As I am the only person who is with the piece from creation through greenware and firing, only I know how much I went through to reach the final result. I find myself also changed with the piece. I enjoy this and take time to meet my own standards. I know that in ceramics the process has steps that cannot be rushed. I love how making ceramics require me to slow down instead. This feels in stark contrast with the rest of the world, which seems to just want me to do things faster and produce as much as possible. The care which must be taken with ceramics and the uncertain outcomes make the process so valuable to me, even if the final pieces might look like a disaster. They are my darling disaster babies and I would not want them any other way.
I love to show the wonderful and also the sad and the ugly parts of life events and relationships based on mine and my loved ones’ personal experiences. It’s important for me to express those feelings and be part of the community – both as a sharer and to let others know they are not alone. If there’s anyone out there, who is in a similar situation or has similar thoughts and feelings – I want that person to have the opportunity to have a sense of being understood. If I help even one person, that would mean every minute was worth it for me. Even if it’s just my unique voice and nobody else gets it, it’s okay because I worked hard on it and I’ve expressed myself for me. To me, creativity is about life. Expressing the good, the bad and the things in between. People love to listen to a story, and I tell stories via my ceramics.
Bio
Lily was born in Taiwan where she earned her BA in Early Childhood Education. She worked with many families as a kindergarten teacher before she moved to the United States as an au pair. While in the US, she started to take art classes and now works with ceramics full time. Her works are primary about relationships, childhood, and life events. She has exhibited her ceramics and drawings in Santa Barbara, CA and Philadelphia, PA. Being able to work relentlessly everyday in the ceramics studio makes her very happy.
CV
Education:
◈ 2018 Fall- 2019 Spring Post-Bacc, Tyler School of Art at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
◈ Studio Art Major, Santa Barbara City College, CA
◈ BA in Early Childhood Education, National Taichung University, Taiwan
Residency:
2018 summer resident at Cub Creek Foundation, Appomattox, VA
Awards:
2019:
◈ NCECA (The National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts) Multicultural Fellowship
2018:
◈ Annual Student Exhibition Juror's Award
◈ Santa Barbara Art Association Scholarship Award
2017:
◈ Annual Student Exhibition Juror's Choice Award
◈ Frederick and Ursula Perl Endowed Art Scholarship
Exhibitions:
2019
◈ Ink & Clay 44, Kellogg University Art Gallery, Pomona, CA
2018
◈ Ganna Walska Lotusland gala, Montecito, CA
◈ Santa Barbara Art Association Annual Meeting, The Fess Parker Hotel, Santa Barbara, CA
◈ Annual Student Exhibition, The Atkinson Gallery. Curated by Yasmine Zodeh, Santa Barbara, CA
◈ Tiger’s Eye, Biko House, Isla Vista, CA
2017
◈ Annual Student Exhibition, The Atkinson Gallery. Curated by Emma Saperstein, Santa Barbara, CA
◈ Untold Stories, Curated by Emily Corb, Santa Barbara, CA
Press:
"Lotusland Celebrates Gems of the Garden", Ganna Walska Lotusland newsletter, Fall 2018, p11
2018 Student Voices Magazine, Santa Barbara City College, Cover, 2018
Gail Arnold: "Lotusland Celebrates Oscar de la Renta-Style", Independent, August 6, 2018
Mayer Rus: "Lotusland Anniversary Event: Fashion Elite Descend on the Iconic Lotusland Gardens for a Chic Celebration", Architectural Digest, August 6, 2018
Madison Dahlke: "LOTUSLAND CELEBRATES: GEMS OF GARDEN GALA", C Social Front, August 3, 2018
"Lotus rising: Lotusland celebrates gems at the garden", Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine, August 1, 2018
"Garden Variety", Montecito Journal, Vol 24 Issue 31, 2018, p.25
Josef Woodard: "ART REVIEW: Clay for Thought: Annual student exhibition at Santa Barbara City College extends beyond the Atkinson Gallery walls, and extends compassion for a post-Montecito mudslide community in need and in grieving", Santa Barbara News Press, April 27, 2018
Josef Woodard: “Art meets memorial”, Santa Barbara News Press, April 14, 2018, front page
"Montecito Mud Used to Create Memorial Artwork", Voice Magazine, April 13, 2018, p. 11
Haley Herrera: “SBCC art students put talent on display for annual exhibition”, The Channels, April 14, 2018
Santa Barbara Museum of Art Summer newsletter, 2017, p. 15
Josef Woodard: “ART REVIEW: Artistic Harvest, in the Humanities Building”, Santa Barbara News Press, May 5, 2017
Zuri Smith: “Untold Stories’ exhibit conveys genuine and honest art pieces”, The Channels, April 26, 2017
Zuri Smith: “Atkinson displays modern pieces in annual student art exhibit”, The Channels, April 22, 2017