Winter Tea Bowl, #1

Precision and spontaneity are at odds in the work of Huang Li Chia’s ceramic work, thrown from stoneware clay. From her studio in South Eastern Taiwan, shared with her woodworking partner, the artist considers functionality, expression, and beauty as she creates pieces pared back to reveal each element at its most foundational, in an incredibly successful line of teaware. Iron oxide brushstrokes are just visible beneath a rich layer of glaze, it’s orange peel texture and soft freckling adding to the rhythm of the undulating rim. A neatly trimmed foot lifts the form from the tea table, presenting a visual lightness balanced against the weight of the tea bowl’s thick walls. This tea bowl is one of its kind. Usage and care: To clean between uses, simply rinse the gaiwan with hot water and air dry.