The Queue: Tung Chiang
Discover what individuals from our craft community are into right now.
The Queue: Tung Chiang
↑ Tung Chiang is a designer and ceramist and the director of Heath Clay Studio in San Francisco.
Photo: Courtesy of Heath Ceramics
The Queue: Kitchen Table Series
A weekly roundup for and by the craft community, the Kitchen Table series of The Queue introduces you to the makers, writers, curators, and more featured in the most recent issue of American Craft. We invite them to share their shortlist of exciting projects, people to follow, and content to consume to help you stay dialed into what's happening in the world of making.
Tung Chiang on taking time to envision what is possible
Tung Chiang is the director of Heath Clay Studio, a space within Heath Ceramics dedicated to experimenting with new shapes and techniques. In addition to his work as a ceramist, his career has spanned graphic design, advertising, furniture design, and industrial design, evolving toward a fusion of thinking, designing, and making. Tung was also a juror for our 2020 American Craft Show season, helping curate an inspiring lineup of artists for these marketplace events. @tungchiang
↑ Photo: Courtesy of Tung Chiang
Read more about the history, philosophy, and leadership behind Heath Ceramics in "California Classic" featured in the June/July 2020 issue of American Craft.
How would you describe your work or practice in 50 words or less?
As the director of the Heath Clay Studio, I use my works in clay to express Heath as a creative and design company. Combining pottery and design skill, I focus on designing new, one-of-a-kind objects. I also produce handcrafted items with the support of my small team.
↑ Ceramic prototypes on dispay at Heath Clay Studio.
Photo: Courtesy of Heath Ceramics
How are you staying healthy and finding balance during the COVID-19 breakout, both personally and professionally?
I am fortunate to live in a quiet town, which is easier for me to social distance. I spend a lot of time focusing on house projects while working from home. Working in the yard definitely helps relieve stress. I can’t work on clay at home, so I focus on drawings and ideations and revisit the purpose of my works and goals. I find it is a luxury to be able to take a deep breath and think.
↑ Tung Chiang shares his thoughts on bowl design on Instagram.
What are your thoughts on the relationship between craft and food?
Cooking food has always been a form of craftsmanship; it is about selection and skill, as well as connecting to yourself and an audience. What I like about it is that it's something we do everyday and perform subconsciously. We don’t overthink it, and yet we spend so much time on it.
↑ A snapshot of "Bryk & Wirkkala Visible Storage" at the Espoo Museum of Modern Art in Finland.
What’s an exhibition or art project you think the world should know about?
Too many to name! One of them would be the Rut Bryk and Tapio Wirkkala exhibition at the Espoo Museum of Modern Art in Finland. Roughly 2,000 items from the Bryk & Wirkkala Collection are on display in chronological order on the shelves around the space. Both are my favorite designers in their time. It is a life-changing experience to see their sketches, prototypes, and work together in one place. @emmamuseum
The future is unknown, but if we know who we are and what we want the world to be, we can help make that happen.
If you could purchase any artist's craft work for your home or studio, whose would it be and why?
Julian Watts, a wood craftsman in Portland, is an amazing young artist who has a special touch on wood and touch on stone. He creates a natural and yet imaginative world. @julianwattsstudio
What research or writing are you doing, or seeing others do, that's piqued your interest?
It is important to take this time to revisit what exactly I am doing by writing down vision; what I can I do more and less as professional and as human. The future is unknown, but if we know who we are and what we want the world to be, we can help make that happen.
↑ A collection of work by Portland-based artist Julian Watts.
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