A new exhibition at the Penland Gallery, titled Family Dinner, presents a large group of sculptural vessels made from recycled wooden packing crates. They are the work of sculptor Vivian Chiu, and they are rich with symbolism, implied stories, family history, cultural references, and amazing technical feats of woodworking. The exhibition runs through August 30 with a reception on Friday, August 18, from 4:30 to 6:30 PM. There will be an artist talk at 4:30 PM.
Based in Richmond, Virginia, Vivian Chiu was born in Los Angeles and raised in Hong Kong. The sculptures in the exhibition are the result of a gift of wooden crates made to the artist by Wing On Wo & Co, the oldest storefront in Manhattan’s Chinatown, operating since 1890 and renowned for its trade in Chinese porcelain ware. Chiu describes her process this way: “Each crate is meticulously deconstructed, cut into hundreds of individually faceted pieces, and reassembled to resemble the ceramic vessels they once held. This labor-intensive process ensures the preservation of the crates’ stampings and markings, serving as tangible traces of their journey from Asia to the United States, symbolically mirroring the migration shared by both the Lum Family at Wing On Wo and myself.”
Several of the pieces are groups of vessels joined together with evocative titles like Group Photo or Group Hug. Others incorporate panels with images of traditional Chinese dishes. These appear to be painted but are actually made from carefully cut and inlaid panels of colored wood. Central to the exhibition is a spectacular piece made up of twenty-four faceted, wooden bowls joined together into a large ring, with rice flowing from one bowl to the next. This piece, like the exhibition, is titled Family Dinner, and it evokes an extended family gathered around a banquet table.
The pieces are accompanied by a video about Chiu’s process, which helps complete the viewer’s understanding of this exhibition’s bold statement of beauty, culture, history, and craft. The video can also be found at penland.org/gallery on the page for the Family Dinner exhibition.
Also at the Penland Gallery is a small show of collaborative work by sculptors Irene Tete and Sarita Westrup. Their forms are based in basketry and ceramic, and they carry both personal and collective histories. They create vessels for remembrance and reimagination.
The Penland Gallery includes a sales gallery with work in many media by artists associated with Penland School of Craft and a room dedicated to the school’s history and programs. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. It’s the first building on your right as you enter the Penland School campus, which is located on Conley Ridge Road just off Penland Road in Mitchell County, North Carolina. For more information visit penland.org/gallery or call 828-765-6211.
PHOTO: Vivian Chiu, Triple Conjoined Vase, pine crate wood from Wing On Wo & Co
Penland School of Craft is a national center for craft education dedicated to the creative life. Located in Western North Carolina, Penland offers workshops in books and paper, clay, drawing and painting, glass, iron, metals, printmaking and letterpress, photography, textiles, and wood. The school also provides artists’ residencies, an outreach program, and a gallery and visitors center. Penland is a nonprofit, tax-exempt institution that receives support from the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural & Cultural Resource. More information at penland.org.
