Why do I do clay? I enjoy the feel and texture of the clay in my hands: the push and pull of this most pliable material, the smoothness of fresh clay; sensual, and almost delicious.
Making my art is a time for myself: a refuge from the crazy world outside. My sculptures makes a statement about who I am, my life experiences and the world I find myself in. They force me to question the path I've taken thus far, and even more importantly, where I'm heading. Creating my art fills me with lots of good emotions, energizes me and reinforces my confidence as a sculptor.
My martial arts training in traditional Japanese swordsmanship inspires my concepts and designs. I'm drawn to the Buddhist's philosophy and viewpoint about life, specifically the search for the Way, “Tao” (Chinese reading) or “Do” (Japanese reading), the impermanence of this life, the relationship between body, mind and spirit, ultimately leading to relationships between human beings. I enjoy translating these abstract concepts into sculptures, giving them shape and form, and perhaps a life of their own. When everything comes together, it is truly beautiful to see and feel.
It is me sharing with you something visually, so hopefully you feel something inside. My art doesn't have to look pretty all the time. Sometimes, it evokes a scary and icky feeling. That's OK too. If you do feel something, then I have communicated and am happy. I want my sculptures to convey a story of how this piece came to be, the thought process that went into it and the source of inspiration I draw from.
Creating art for the joy of it is the purest transfer of one person's innermost feelings into his medium, before that process becomes contaminated with thoughts of business, sales, marketing, production and throughput. As artists, we all have to figure out this balance - food for thought for a new piece of sculpture?
Come share and enjoy my journey. I'll tell you my story...
To view more of my works, please visit my website, www.anthonyfoo.com
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