2025｜Ceramics｜Vessel as a Narrative
- Title
- The KMT Retreat
- Size
- 8inches
- Medium
- Pottery
Artist Statement
This pot uses the shape of a traditional Chinese Jardinese planter as a symbolic vessel to tell the historical narrative of the Kuomintang. The form references Chinese ceramic traditions, while the imagery wrapped around the surface depicts key moments in the KMT’s retreat from mainland China, their arrival in Taiwan, and the political tensions that followed, culminating in the iconic image of the lone protester confronting tanks during the Tiananmen Square protests and massacre.
The painted scenes are inspired by the narrative style of Diego Romero, whose pottery often combines traditional Pueblo ceramic forms with comic-like storytelling to address contemporary political and cultural histories. By adapting this visual language, the pot transforms a functional planter into a storytelling object, using sequential imagery to explore themes of migration, power, and resistance across time.