Abstract

This research analyses and evaluates a body of original ceramic artworks developed through a sustained investigation into how the Daoist notions of wu 無(non-being) and wuwei 無為 (non-forcing) can operate within contemporary ceramic practice. It explores how absence, potential, and non-intervention may act as structuring forces in clay, space, and process. While wu 無and wuwei 無為are frequently cited in contemporary art discourse, they are rarely translated into concrete material and procedural practices. This study responds to this gap by formulating and testing a philosophy–material framework that connects Daoist thought with the behaviour of clay, glaze, and fire. The research situates itself within a cross-cultural discourse, addressing how Eastern philosophical ideas may generate new modes of expression and process ethics in the context of contemporary ceramic art.
Grounded in a practice-based and emergent methodology, this research evolved through iterative cycles of making, observation, reflection, and adaptation within an action research framework. Rather than following pre-determined systems, the methods developed in response to the unpredictable behaviour of clay, glaze, and fire, aligning with the Daoist principle of wuwei 無為. Three interconnected methods structured the enquiry: (1) studio testing through controlled parameters, altering one variable—such as clay thickness, glaze density, or kiln atmosphere — to trace material tendencies; (2) a processual ethic informed by wuwei 無為, defined by condition-setting, restrained intervention, and non-restoration, allowing materials, time, and fire to act as co-authors; and (3) spatial composition and perceptual framing through the devices of layer, gap, threshold, and sequence, choreographing movement and attention so that wu 無 becomes spatially and experientially perceptible.
The research reveals that cavities, pores, thin walls, fractures, and folds can act as carriers of wu 無as structured void and latent potential — while glaze mobility, kiln atmosphere, and thermal history express qi 氣(propensity and flow) as visible traces of transformation. These findings culminate in a philosophy–material bridge — wu 無→ chaos (hundun 混沌) → qi 氣 → fold — that connects concept and material behaviour, and in a practical articulation of wuwei 無為as an ethical and teachable method of making. The written thesis and the accompanying artworks contribute to contemporary ceramic discourse by shifting wu 無and wuwei 無為from metaphor to method, clarifying key terms to avoid cross-cultural misinterpretation, and demonstrating how Daoist thought can structure material transformation, spatial experience, and creative ethics in contemporary ceramic art.