Jenchi Wu
Artwork Information
“Exchange”, 2022
Ceramic
Tall: 50"x20"x20", Short: 42"x20"x20"
$5,000
Artist Statement:
A perfect clay vase that is dropped, squashed and deformed during its plastic stage takes on a completely new form. That physical impact on clay is what intrigues me. Through repetition and deconstruction, I allow the clay to take on new forms. The moment of impact is then fired and captured in the ceramic, with the result showing the conversation between the artist’s hands and the clay, which is constantly in flux. My work explores the boundary between the perception of ceramics as functional objects, coupled with the divergence of traditional craftsmanship and contemporary aspects of clay. Examining how manipulation, physical force, spatial relationships, natural environment, and gravity can bridge the gap between traditional ceramics and contemporary expression.
Jenchi Wu's introduction to clay in 1994 was a pivotal moment in her personal and professional journey. The texture and the fluidity of clay are reasons Wu continues to engage with the medium over three decades. Wu’s curiosity with how clay reacts to physical force and gravity is a constant presence in her creative process.
Born and raised in Taiwan, Wu moved to the United States in the 1990s and earned her MFA in 2025. Her work has been exhibited in US and internationally including Guilin Tourism University, Guangxi, China; The Frank M. Doyle Arts Pavilion, Costa Mesa CA; American Museum of Ceramic Art, Pomona CA; New Media Gallery, Ventura CA; Atkinson Gallery, Santa Barbara CA; and Ink & Clay, Kellogg University Art Gallery, Pomona CA. Her ceramics are held in the permanent collections of Westmount College and the Daum Museum of Contemporary Art, Missouri. Wu currently teaches ceramics and sculpture at Ventura College and lives in Los Angeles with her family.