Year: 2022
Medium: ceramic
Dimensions: 33 x 22 x 25 cm (13 x 8 5/8 x 9 7/8 in.)
Acquired from the artist, 2022
In essence, ceramics and architecture share a commonality in their treatment of space. They both have an internal structure and so function as a boundary between the outside and the inside. Despite hailing from a family of traditional ceramic artisans, Nara diverged from their path, opting instead to pursue architecture. serves as the cornerstone of Nara's artistic identity, shaped by the intersection of disparate influences. The “Bone Flower” series is a set of works including this work. It has a delicate outline like a bud about to bloom, while its concrete structure is a cluster of thin plates. The light reflecting off the white and smooth bone-like ceramic surface leads brightness into the gaps between the plates. Generally, vessels are designed to prevent water from spilling out when filled, but Nara liberates this common sense of vessels. The structure of not confining anything is actually emphasizing the spirit of the vessel. A body that has lost its skin and flesh can only become airy bones, but they are essentially variations of the same thing. In this sense, Nara’s “Bone Flower” realizes the essence of vessels in a new phase.
