Division of Art Chair Presents Solo Gallery Exhibition in Taiwan
Brian Molanphy, professor and chair for Meadow’s Division of Art, presented a solo exhibition of ceramics and drawings at an art gallery in Taipei, Taiwan over the summer.
“Panta Rhei,” derived from Greek philosophy, means that all things flow and are endless. It is this concept, paired with a love for Taiwanese tea, that inspired professor and chair of Meadows’ Division of Art Brian Molanphy to create work for his solo exhibition “lǎo měi chá 老美茶,” in Taipei, Taiwan this summer.
The exhibit, which when translated to English is slang for “American tea,” grew out of Molanphy’s previous residencies at Tainan National University of the Arts (TNNUA) and the ceramics studio of Tang Runqing. It featured tea-related drawings, which Molanphy created the paper for at the Dieu Donné Papermill in New York City, and ceramic teaware that he created in the US before opening the exhibit at the Object art gallery in Taipei.
Molanphy utilized a unique process for the ceramics by layering the glaze melt during firing, creating a flowing texture on the surface of the tea set, reflecting the different states of placing tea in the vessel. From the dappled black stoneware that traces a fluid path like a petrified riverbed to the watery blue and white porcelain that melts both in the fabrication of clay and in the firing of the ceramic, the concept of the flow of infinity can be seen in each of his pieces.
“The ceramic material captures surface detail, showing that the twin disciplines of ceramics and drawing have so much in common,” explains Molanphy, discussing the similarities between the two mediums presented in his exhibition. “The fluid relationship such as that between tea and teaware is likewise manifest in the drawings’ figures and colors.”
Photo: Cloud Forest Collective Instagram
In addition to his solo exhibition at Object art gallery, Molanphy was also an artist-in-residence at the Cloud Forest pottery collective, a ceramic art studio that hosts pottery classes for students of all levels in the Taipei area, this summer. During his time at Cloud Forest, which is located at the border of Taipei and Yangmingshan National Park, Molanphy led bilingual lectures and ceramics workshops. As his Cloud Forest summer residency draws to a close, production for 2024 exhibitions are now underway, something Molanphy is very much looking forward to already.
“It is wonderful to make new artwork at Cloud Forest in the mountains above central Taipei.”