Meet Wendy Ma
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Meet ceramicist Wendy Ma, this month’s Mavletter spotlight artist! Wendy practices under the name Kaomoji, and exhibits as part of local art markets and exhibitions, and through the IMA store.
We joined Wendy at her home studio in Camp Hill to talk about Kaomoji - named after the term for creating a face using symbols and text - and how she has established her distinctive ceramics practice.
The name Kaomoji came about because my style evolves with my mood. We were in a shop in Japan shortly after I just started [ceramic] lessons, we needed a maker’s mark, and the kaomoji stamp I found just fit. I can change the faces on it, so the stamp inspired the name.
As we chat alongside some in-progress glazing, it becomes apparent that the namesake might run a little deeper than coincidental convenience. Kaomoji as a concept becomes a nice lens through which to view Wendy’s creative practice. Like symbols and text, ceramics are usually utilitarian, purposeful, and often crafted in line with minimalist design ideals - beautiful, but as Wendy explains - everyone’s already doing that. Instead, Kaomoji pieces refuse to be boxed in by the expectations of the medium, and Wendy’s work plays across boundaries to become illustrative, animated, and full of vitality.
Kaomoji started as a hobby in 2015, when Wendy and a friend began attending classes at Clayschool in West End, where she continued to work and learn, even as the business began to fund itself. Wendy now runs Kaomoji from her home studio, while still working a day job, and finding the right balance is key.
I try to keep the work intentional and very personal. I’m mindful of not rushing it, to not be in factory mode. I’m always striving to learn and refine and put myself into the work, so when people connect with that and take home the work, it’s incredibly rewarding.
For Wendy, intentional experimentation informs what she produces as Kaomoji, and that ethos is clear from the diversity represented in her practice. While her work is wheel thrown, there are no pretences of uniform perfection, and her approach to form and finish is where the Kaomoji design really starts.
Formally, some works take the shape of familiar drinking vessels, however, Wendy’s hybrid constructions sprout tiny flower vases, wheel-thrown miniatures, precarious snack plates, or interlinked handles that playfully interrupt banal functionality and demand a mindful interaction from the user.
Wendy’s glazed finishes emulate Ming Dynasty illustrations of Cobalt on porcelain, however her subject matter is decidedly contemporary. On her work bench sits a vase featuring hand-painted scenes she has sourced from candid photographs, including one where she offers a bunch of flowers to her dog Tuski; and a large bowl with blocky characters around the rim that spell out TASTY in Cantonese - one of many pieces she shows us that are inspired by Hong Kong and Wendy’s Chinese heritage.
Having grown up in Australia, I feel like I needed to make up for lost time. I’d been studying the history of Chinese ceramics through books, reconnecting to the Chinese community through my mum and her friends. She was also teaching me how to write in Chinese for my work, so we bonded over these things. I like to incorporate that into my work, but I try to do it in my own way by including reference to movies and food that remind me of my childhood. I think it’s mind-blowing to be making work that is referencing artisans of the past - we are still participating in the same processes, contributing to the culture and craft.
Alongside her custom work, Wendy offers Kintsugi - a Japanese ceramic repair process - as a service through Kaomoji. This process not only preserves the form of the original work, but emphasises the repair lines as well.
The more you sit with a ceramic object, use it ritualistically, memory and meaning is imbued into it. It becomes significant and a part of you. The traditional process using urushi (Japanese tree sap) is very delicate and time-intensive. I’ve also been able to apply a mixed modern technique for decorative wares. This has allowed me to work with a lot of ceramic artists to repair larger sculptural works. My clients are relieved when I can save their pieces, and they also love the look of the repaired work because it can add dimension and beauty to a piece.
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Check out Wendy’s artwork at @kaomoji.ceramics
Article by wonderful local arts writer Jessica McNicol @jemc & edited by @byfrances_
Photography by @rhiannajphillips