Gallery 456 is pleased to present The Connected World, a ceramic art exhibition by Timothy Hsieh, on view August 12 - 26, 2022.

ARTIST STATEMENT

Ceramics help keep me centered. I find immense joy when I create something that becomes a person's favorite every day item, such as a mug or bowl. Creating art that is useful and has a purpose is so important to me. Ceramics is an art that stretches back centuries and I feel a connection with our past when I follow the same rituals that were used many thousand years ago to make ceramics. In addition to feeling a connection to our history, I also feel a connection to nature. I get a deep sense of satisfaction using clay, earth and other elements like air, water and fire to create my pieces. For these reasons, I've been working with pottery for almost 20 years and don't plan on stopping anytime soon.

My ceramic in this exhibition, each piece represents a part of me and has a story to tell:

Pearl Paint Planter: This piece is very special to me. Most art students know the name Pearl Paint and there was no location grander than the one on Canal Street. I used to visit the store to pick up supplies when I was young. It was my mecca. It’s also the first piece that I created in this series and it inspired me to create a full collection.

CBGB: I made this at the request of my close friend who used to go there all the time. It was also such an iconic NYC storefront, many which are sadly disappearing.

FAO Schwartz: As a child, this store seemed like another world to me. A world filled with wonder and magic. It was so iconic and I loved going there and seeing all the toys on display. Walking into the store gave me a different feeling than walking into any other toy store. It was pure bliss.

Small orange teapot: I loved making this piece. It's different to what I normally create, but I wanted to play with the scale of the objects that I was exhibiting and show that small can also be strong and powerful.

Raku teapot and tea cup: This piece was created using the Raku technique, which I enjoy using. We take pieces that have just been removed from the kiln and are still red hot and smother them in combustibles. It’s a raw and harsh method, but the end result produces beautiful pieces.

Mocha teapot: I really love the aesthetic that I created for this piece. It’s a subtle combination of modern and traditional style.