【藝述心言】陶中人 / 盧世強 【Intimate Portrait】Once a Ceramicist, Always a Ceramicist / Lo Sai-keung, Louis
（2019年5月）剛參與了海港城於馬哥孛羅香港酒店舉辦的Harbour Art Fair，陶藝家盧世強向我們展示他的兩件新作：《Woman’s Brain》及《合巹交杯》。前者的靈感來自婚姻專家Mark Gungor的比喻，笑談男與女的大腦是沒連結與有連結的盒子；後者則凝住了婚宴上新人飲「交杯酒」的永恆一刻。
陶泥於盧世強就如攝影師的圖片一樣能捕捉最動人、最美的「一面」。他的「盒子」裡盛載着性情中人與意中人——陶瓷是「一杯子」的情人。
J：JCCAC
L：盧世強
J: 可以告訴我們你是怎樣開展你的藝術之路嗎？
L: 我自幼喜歡繪畫，記得當年在家附近拜師學藝，見到老師閒時拿起灰泥混合木糠，再加上水，搓一搓就製作了一件泥公仔。我有樣學樣製作了一個類似犀牛的物象，想起來那可說是我的第一件「雕塑」作品。當年這位啟蒙老師就是有名的陶藝家陳松江先生。後來上了中學，接觸油畫之外，我亦跟隨山水大師梁伯譽學習水墨畫。
雖然一直習畫，但我本人更喜歡西方雕塑，例如：古希臘的神像、文藝復興時期米開朗基羅的作品，以及當代意大利雕刻家布魯諾 · 瓦爾波特的人像木雕。我尤其欣賞他們的雕塑能捕捉人的神韻，因此也想一試。那時候我爸爸喜歡古玩，於是就將我帶到廣東道玉器市場的雕刻店當學徒。期間不但學會製作鼻煙壺及玉石雕刻，亦深入了解這個行業，如物料採購等程序。
後來我從事金融行業，有一天爸爸到摩羅街買下一個不怎麼漂亮，但價錢相當於我一個月工資的石灣公仔回來，我便賭氣說我也來做一個。我用陶泥做了羅漢，雖然做得似模似樣，但不懂怎樣燒製。於是遍尋名師，最後認識了石灣陶藝專家何秉聰老師，便跟隨他學習各種燒製陶瓷的技巧。那時候我的作品都是在屯門青山陶窰(俗稱龍窰)燒製的。
可惜後來因為事業日漸繁忙，慢慢就把陶藝創作放下長達二十多年的時間。直至2005年，我決定到美國紐約研習玻璃藝術，其後再在澳洲皇家墨爾本理工大學主修陶瓷 ，重拾起工具，更成為全職藝術家。讓我驚訝的是我對陶瓷的感覺與觸覺從未消失或生疏，「落刀」反而更直接，可能是對藝術的心一直都在吧！
J: 在玉器雕刻店當學徒時學到的技巧及經驗對你日後成為陶瓷藝術家有沒有甚麼幫助或影響？
L: 雖然玉器雕刻離不開傳統，但讓我學習到浮雕的技術，此後便能應用在我的陶瓷作品上，例如《合巹交杯》杯上的鴛鴦圖案就是淺浮雕。
J: 對比早期與現在的作品，創作理念或心態上有沒有甚麼轉變？
L: 早期的石灣陶瓷作品以趣味性為主，製作的人物角色參照古代民間故事，其姿態則來自自己的想像。現在，我希望透過雕塑作品展現當今這個時代，像「叉燒飯」記錄的是六、七十年代工人的辛酸；「雞飯」則表達對大埔碗窰陶工的一份敬意。
J: 可以分享在美國研習玻璃藝術時的體會嗎？
L: 選擇去美國修讀玻璃藝術是因為想要了解陶瓷以外的物料，而美國在發展玻璃藝術方面只是僅次於意大利而已，從紐約市的Urban Glass Studio到全球首屈一指的康寧玻璃博物館可見一斑。我就在那裡跟大師們切磋，那種集中、親身體驗的學習方式讓我獲益良多。玻璃藝術為我的陶瓷創作帶來新的啟發。
J: 你怎麼看玻璃與陶瓷的關係及區別？
L: 玻璃與陶瓷是緊緊相扣的，陶瓷的釉基本上就是玻璃。而他們的不同之處主要在於物料的特質及應用上，例如玻璃適合吹製，陶泥則能用作拉坯。特性方面，玻璃是透明的，色彩相對鮮豔及外向；陶泥則不透明，比較內斂含蓄。因此玻璃作品表達的東西通常比較直接及開心，而陶瓷作品看起來會較有深度，韻味慢慢滲透。陶泥的迷人之處還有很多——它靈活性及可塑性高，可加可減，工序不多，適合製作複雜的形態；它抗氧化，能保存很久。未來我的創作方向是希望結合玻璃及陶瓷，至於怎樣融合兩者？請拭目以待。
J: 可以告訴我們更多關於你和另一位駐JCCAC的藝術家盧聲前的合作嗎？
L: 我和盧聲前的第一次合作是在沙田文化博物館的「衣 + 包剪揼」展覽。他們邀請五位時裝設計師與傳統工藝師父來一場「聯乘」，盧聲前是其中一位，他選擇了傳統工藝廣彩，並找到香港碩果僅存的手繪瓷器廠粵東瓷廠的當家曹志雄先生。但除了布料上的廣彩圖案，他亦想以「陶瓷薄衫」配襯，因此便和我合作。製作過程具挑戰性又有趣。之後去年香港貿易發展局舉辦的DesignInspire博覽會再找來盧聲前參展，這回他想到以萬壽無疆廣彩碗為概念製作一個陶瓷擴音器，我便實現了他的想法。
J: 你如何看待香港陶瓷文化的發展？
L: 近年香港多了人參與陶藝活動，基調強，但配套不足。拓展文化除了創意及創新，更重要的是知識、技術及歷史的根基。我們關注的青山龍窰是香港現存的三級歷史建築，不只是用作燒製粗陶（砂煲罌罉），還可以生產一流的純藝術陶瓷作品，我早期的創作就是一個很好的例子。總督尤德時期的第一任古物古蹟辦事處執行秘書白德博士曾經建議將這地方變成「生活博物館」，一來可以保留陶藝文化，二來可以作為活動中心，具教育的意義。像石灣的南風古灶、台灣鶯歌，以及「瓷都」景德鎮，古窯都好好保育下來，成為獨特的文化風景，香港應以它們為借鏡。
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(2019 May) No sooner had the Harbour Art Fair wrapped up at the Marco Polo Hongkong Hotel in Harbour City than ceramicist Lo Sai-keung, Louis, one of the exhibiting artists, presented to us his two latest works: Woman’s Brain and The Nuptial Cups. The former is inspired by marriage expert Mark Gungor’s witty analogy on the different wirings of the brain between men and women; the latter immortalises the moment a wedding toast with intertwined arms.
Ceramic art to Lo is like a camera to a photographer, capturing the most beautiful and breath-taking moments. Lo fills his “box” with sentiments and affection, in which there is a “cuppa”, and to ceramics, he toasts.
J: JCCAC
L: Lo Sai-keung, Louis
J: Can you tell us about your path to becoming an artist?
L: I got the painting bug early and studied under a teacher who lived nearby when I was quite young. One day, I saw my teacher effortlessly conjure up a figurine by mixing and moulding plaster, sawdust and water with just a few nimble moves. Monkey see, monkey do and I came up with something that remotely resembles a rhino. I guess you could call it my first “sculptural” work. This inspirational teacher of mine is none other than the famed ceramic artist, Chan Chung-kong. Following that, I was introduced to oil painting during my secondary school years and studied Chinese ink painting under the master Leung Pak-yu.
Despite a long immersion in painting, I have always been partial to Western sculptures: from gods and heroes in Greek mythology, Renaissance art of Michelangelo, to the works by contemporary Italian wood sculptor, Bruno Walpoth. I am fascinated by the way they capture souls and essence in their works, so much so that it prompted me to try my hand at it. My antique aficionado father secured me an apprenticeship at a gemstone carving shop in the Jade Market on Canton Road. Therein, not only did I acquire the skills of making snuff bottles and gemstone carving, I also got to learn the trade inside and out, such as its process of material sourcing.
Fast forward some years, I was working in the financial sector. One day, my father came home with his latest purchase – a mediocre Shiwan figurine from Cat Street (Lascar Row) with an exorbitant price tag equivalent to a month of my salary. In a fit of pique, I vowed to make one of my own. Although I managed to come up with a decent clay figurine of luohan (a disciple of Buddha), I had no clue when it comes to kiln firing. So then I followed the master of Shiwan ceramics, Ho Ping-chung, and soaked up an array of ceramic firing techniques. All my works produced during this period were fired in Castle Peak Pottery Kiln (known locally as “dragon kiln”, a traditional Chinese form of kiln).
But soon enough, work took over and the artist in me has lain dormant for the next 20 odd years. It was not until I left for New York to study glass arts in 2005, followed by an undergraduate degree in ceramics at RMIT University, Australia, that I turned full-time to my creative endeavours. To my amazement, I realised I never did lose my touch nor passion for ceramics. If anything, I found myself able to deliver cleaner, crispier strokes. Perhaps it is because my love for the arts had always dwelled in my heart!
J: Did the skills and experience acquired during your apprenticeship at the gemstone carving shop transfer over to your ceramic art?
L: While gemstone carving is steeped in tradition, it did introduce me to relief carving techniques which I later applied to my ceramics. The mandarin ducks on The Nuptial Cups are an example of low-relief carving.
J: How do your early works compare with your current ones, in terms of creative ideas and your states of mind?
L: Playfulness is central to my early Shiwan ceramic works. I lifted my characters from ancient folktales but their postures and gestures were purely products of my imagination. But these days, I want to use ceramics to portray the current times. For example, “Contentment” resembles a bowl of rice topped with barbecue pork – it calls to mind the labour and toil of workers in the 1960s and 70s; and “Satisfaction”, a variant with steamed chicken slices topping intended as a tribute to Tai Po Wun Yiu kiln workers.
J: Can you share with us your experience of studying glass art in New York?
L: I chose New York because I wanted to pursue a medium other than ceramics. The US is only second to Italy when it comes to the studies of glass art, boasting top-notch establishments such as the Urban Glass Studio and The Studio at The Corning Museum of Glass. There, I had the chance to learn from the masters and benefitted hugely from its focused, hands-on approach. Glass art proves to be a fountain of inspiration for my ceramic work.
J: How would you describe the relationship between glass and ceramic and the differences between the two?
L: Glass and ceramic are very much two sides of the same coin. Ceramic glaze is essentially “liquid glass”. What set them apart are their properties and applications. For example, you blow glass but you throw clay. Differing markedly in their properties, glass is transparent/translucent, multi-coloured and outward-looking, whereas clay is opaque, subtle and subdued. Glass art pieces are forthright and happy in character; ceramic works are imbued with depth and charm that oozes over time. There are many facets to the charm of working with ceramic clay: it involves a simple, short process and is flexible and malleable, meaning you can easily add or subtract as you go and create works of a complex composition. With its antioxidant properties, it ages well with time. I hope I will be able to marry glass and ceramics in my future works – watch this space!
J: Can you tell us a bit more about your collaborations with Singchin Lo, a fellow JCCAC tenant artist?
L: Our first collaboration was on the exhibition, "Fashion + Paper, Scissors and Rock", organised by the Hong Kong Heritage Museum. In the show, five fashion designers, including Singchin, were respectively matched with a local craftsman to explore the possibilities of cross-disciplinary creations. Choosing the traditional art of Guangcai (or Canton porcelain, the colourised ceramics from Guangzhou), Singchin got in touch with Tso Chi-hung, Joseph, owner of Yuet Tung China Works, Hong Kong’s first and only surviving hand-painted porcelain factory. He came up with the idea of painting ceramic patterns on his fashion pieces and applying “ceramics on flimsy fabrics” for a mix-and-match effect, so he brought me on board. It was a challenging and fun experience. Last year, Singchin was invited by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council to exhibit at DesignInspire exposition. He conceived of the idea to create a ceramic amplifier based on the classic “longevity” design on Chinese porcelain rice bowls. Again, I came on board to help realise his vision.
J: What are your views on the development of ceramic culture in Hong Kong?
L: Ceramic activities in Hong Kong have definitely attracted a bigger crowd in recent years. Sadly, the surge in enthusiasm has been hampered by the lack of supporting facilities. Creativity and innovation are catalysts for cultural development but nothing progresses far without the three cornerstones of knowledge, skills and history. We are deeply concerned about the preservation of the Castle Peak Pottery Kiln, a Grade III historic building that has the capability of producing not just everyday pottery but rather superior ceramic artworks. My early works are a testament to this. In fact, Dr. Solomon Bard, Hong Kong’s first Executive Secretary of the Antiquities and Monuments Office who served under Sir Edward Youde, was so struck by the kiln’s uniqueness that he advocated to turn it into a living museum to serve a dual purpose: to preserve Hong Kong’s ceramic culture and function as an educational activity centre. The Nangfeng Ancient Kiln in Shiwan, Foshan, the Yingge District in Taipei and the Chinese porcelain capital Jingdezhen have all done their parts to conserve ancient kilns – an invaluable vista to the cultural landscape of a city. Hong Kong can take a cue or two from its neighbours.
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