Poetics challenges people out of their defined structure of thinking,
constantly asking one to step out oneself and to connect with the Other.
Poetics, for me and this solo exhibition,as for the French philosopher Georges Bataille,
is “to substitute for the individual isolated discontinuity a feeling of profound continuity.”
Poetics is love.
Yours sincerely,
Vesper Jia
Home Sweet Home
2020, sculpture, sugar, ceramics, 12*7*4 in, ceramic pelvis with grown sugar crystals
Series of Composition,
2020, sugar on paper, 10*12.5 in
KE ZHANG: Most of your artworks obviously have very unique materials choices. Can we say that you are a material-based artist? And can you talk a little bit about how you choose materials when you make artworks?
​
VESPER JIA: Yeah, thank you for the question. You can definitely say that my works have been influenced by my materials
and materials are a very important part of my works. But at the same time, I think materials alone is not...or materiality alone is not what all my works are about. But I think it’s the connection between materiality and its symbolism, its metaphors…
I think that basically, the kind of inseparable connection between these two is the key idea for all of my works. And as far as my choices of materials are...I think largely based on intuition. And I often have this, you can even say the obsession with a certain kind of material, and I would develop the associations and metaphors in my head and I just can’t stop thinking about them. Maybe one day, I will just come up with some works that can kind of conclude or represent all kinds of obsession and thinking on this material. That’s how I mostly make my works.
Les Petites Morts,
2020, installation, ice, bone ash, dimensions adjustable (2 in each)
Réciproque,
2020, bone ash on canvas, 38*22 in
KE ZHANG: Some of your flat surface works (like the Series of composition and the Reproque ) utilizes the same materials
as your sculptural works. Can you tell us a little more about the connection and difference between them?
​
VESPER JIA: Yeah, I think my graphic and my sculptural works, when they utilize the same materials, are trying to express some similarities of the metaphors associations around this material. So the material is still very much important in both
the graphic and sculptural works. But at the same time, the ideas behind the material or its symbolism. If I choose graphic works, it’s because I find the expression could be better represented with graphics versus in my sculptural works, I find
the associations have to be more special or have to connect with the audience in a more interactive world in a special way,
or experiential way, I think that’s the right word.
Missing
2019, installation, ceramics, 50*65*2 in,
complete set of human skeleton without the skull
Burning
2019, installation, ceramics, 50*65*3 in
complete set of human skeleton without the pelvis
Con-Fusion,
2020, performance/installation, sugar and salt, 50*30in
flour and bone ash, clay and ash, Vesper and Sarah
KE ZHANG: From my very personal view, your artworks show strong personal style and personality. Do you recognize your artworks personally to some degree?
​
VESPER JIA: That’s a good question. As I said in the previews question, I often have this intuition, kind of you can say the starting point for all of my works. But the reason behind the intuition or how I develop this intuition, you can say that's very very personal. I think of my memories, and my own obsession and interests, readings, everything basically that I am into.
I follow this very personal process to produce my works. But at the same time I think my work is not only about my personal things and interests, but hopefully, I hope this speaks for a large group of audience, and more people in general. But as far as the question gose, to some degree, yes, I recognize my works as being personal, but that’s just part of that. I also hope they can be more general for people as well.
​
KE ZHANG: As a young talented artist. What do you think about the art market? Have you ever adjusted your artworks in order to conform to the art market?
​
VESPER JIA: Yeah thanks for asking this question. I think it’s a quite important question for all emerging artists. As far as my thinking and making process go, I don’t really think about the art market. I mean I follow my intuition and follow my own…
I make my works mostly using my own hand, and I quite enjoy the process, so that part of my work or the make of my work, is something that I hope would not be influenced by the art market as well. But with that, I think the art market is also a place for publicity so it’s quite important if you want your work to be seen by more people, so after finishing my work, I will try..
I maen as best as I can to try to make my works seen by more people, and maybe through some marketing process…
and I think that’s also very important for a work to reach more audiences and to have the effects that I hope it would have.
​
KE ZHANG: What is interdisciplinary in your mind and what do you think about it? Can you tell more about your understanding of interdisciplinary not only for yourself but for all young artists and students in art school?
​
VESPER JIA: As a pretty much interdisciplinary artist, I mean I work with a lot of media, 2D, 3D… and I am also a writer so
I also do the writing. So I definitely consider my making process to be interdisciplinary and I really enjoy the process personally, not for things it’s really important to have conversations with larger groups of people and ideas and I also think it’s one of the potential of art to have a conversation with different ideas and different opinions. I think that is quite crucial, so following that idea, I think interdisciplinary is something I personally value a lot. But of course, artists can choose their particular material, technique or style, and kind of dine there, and I also respect their work to a very much degree. I think
it’s a matter of choice as an artist, or as a person to find what’s best for you.
KE ZHANG: From my very personal view, your artworks show strong personal style and personality. Do you recognize your artworks personally to some degree?
​
VESPER JIA: That’s a good question. As I said in the previews question, I often have this intuition, kind of you can say the starting point for all of my works. But the reason behind the intuition or how I develop this intuition, you can say that's very very personal. I think of my memories, and my own obsession and interests, readings, everything basically that I am into.
I follow this very personal process to produce my works. But at the same time I think my work is not only about my personal things and interests, but hopefully, I hope this speaks for a large group of audience, and more people in general. But as far as the question gose, to some degree, yes, I recognize my works as being personal, but that’s just part of that. I also hope they can be more general for people as well.
​
KE ZHANG: As a young talented artist. What do you think about the art market? Have you ever adjusted your artworks in order to conform to the art market?
​
VESPER JIA: Yeah thanks for asking this question. I think it’s a quite important question for all emerging artists. As far as my thinking and making process go, I don’t really think about the art market. I mean I follow my intuition and follow my own…
I make my works mostly using my own hand, and I quite enjoy the process, so that part of my work or the make of my work, is something that I hope would not be influenced by the art market as well. But with that, I think the art market is also a place for publicity so it’s quite important if you want your work to be seen by more people, so after finishing my work, I will try..
I maen as best as I can to try to make my works seen by more people, and maybe through some marketing process…
and I think that’s also very important for a work to reach more audiences and to have the effects that I hope it would have.
​
KE ZHANG: What is interdisciplinary in your mind and what do you think about it? Can you tell more about your understanding of interdisciplinary not only for yourself but for all young artists and students in art school?
​
VESPER JIA: As a pretty much interdisciplinary artist, I mean I work with a lot of media, 2D, 3D… and I am also a writer so
I also do the writing. So I definitely consider my making process to be interdisciplinary and I really enjoy the process personally, not for things it’s really important to have conversations with larger groups of people and ideas and I also think it’s one of the potential of art to have a conversation with different ideas and different opinions. I think that is quite crucial, so following that idea, I think interdisciplinary is something I personally value a lot. But of course, artists can choose their particular material, technique or style, and kind of dine there, and I also respect their work to a very much degree. I think
it’s a matter of choice as an artist, or as a person to find what’s best for you.
INTERVIEWER: KE ZHANG
EDITOR: KE ZHANG
CURATOR: WANTONG YAO, KE ZHANG
GRAPHIC DESIGNER: VIVI SHEN
