A CLAY DANCE
As hand touches clay
the heart begins a dance
of beauty
and of grace...
Till the clay takes on
a dance of its own
Heart to hands
to clay
Therein lies
the beauty of a clay dance.
- Karen Tan
KAREN TAN
M Sc (Ed Psy/ Spec Ed); M A (Art Therapy)
Art Therapist/ Ceramic Artist
In art, as in life, Karen is a passionate idealist.
As a ceramic artist, she believes that the mastery of chaos is the foundation to beautiful and lasting creations. The sensuous elegance and sophistication found in each of her clay creations is born of that ideal. Adorning an artisanal blend of intricacy and simplicity, her works reflect a striving for the perfect form through practiced precision and purposeful surrender to the interplay of serendipity and nature.
As an art therapist, Karen skilfully amalgamates her professional training and practice in art therapy, psychology and special education with her passion in art. She believes in harnessing the inherent potentiality of art to communicate, reveal, heal and empower. Karen’s experiences in working with persons with special needs, as well as individuals facing various mental illnesses and complex traumas, have also allowed her to witness first hand the power of clay in awakening the haptic sense and achieving deep soul work.
ARTIST'S SIGNATURE SERIES
PEBBLE FLOW
Carved Platters
Incisions that mimic the flowing of pebbles adorn each bowl and platter of this series of ceramic wares. Artful precision commingling with sophisticated elegance elevates the commonplace experience of holding and using functional wares to a fine art adventure.
Alternative Firings
In a surrender to the serendipitous interplay of smoke and fire, sagger and raku firings allow each ceramic artwork to adorn a curious and peculiar coating that sings back to nature itself.
ASYMMETRY
A Study On Forms
It took me a couple of years to create the perfectly symmetrical form that I could be proud of, but it took another decade to finally re-create the perfect imperfection of ceramics with indentations that mimic the wabi-sabi aesthetics.
SHADOWLAND
An Art Installation
Shadowland takes inspiration from T.S. Elliot’s poem,The Hollow Men, which poignantly portrays the conditions of people who have experienced severe trauma in life. These individuals are known to be trapped in fragmented and disembodied lives, with wounds of trauma leaving them alienated from life in the mainstream and relegated to the Shadowland of existence. Shadowland, a word crafted by C.S. Lewis, depicts a place between life and death; light and darkness – a purlieu of non-existence. While some trauma survivors are fortunate to emerge triumphantly adorning scorns, others continue to traverse in the darkness of the shadow. These crackled vessels of unglazed clay meandering in irregular, aimless formation, while wearing mutilations of trauma, personify the onerous forward march and silent cry of these individuals.
VALLEY OF DRY BONES
An Art Installation
Inspired by Salvadore Dali’s prolific use of the surrealist symbol of the crutch, and his trademark moustache, this ceramic project first started as the artist’s personal challenge to push the boundaries of wheel-thrown ceramics by creating unconventional forms that mimic the language of surrealism. The artistic ambition eventually evolved into an installation artwork that contemplated on Ezekiel’s vision of the valley of dry bones. The ceramic vessels with exaggerated lips echoed lonesome and fatigued souls in search of a new resurrection. Human crutch, apart from the rejuvenating and life-giving Spirit of God, can only prop up the fallen one ever so superficially.
ART OF LIVING
Tea Sets & Functional Wares
Functional wares need not be just about their functions. There is beauty to be had in each everyday moment as hand touches clay.
BORN OF FIRE
WHAT IS ART THERAPY?
Art therapy harnesses the inherent power of art for therapeutic purposes. It is a form of psychotherapy that uses the art making process within a therapeutic relationship to improve physical, mental and emotional well-being of individuals.
Karen's art therapy focus includes: 1) Clay therapy- effective use of clay for to process unconscious materials and for soul care; 2) Focusing-oriented art therapy for emotion-regulation & self-compassion; 3) Art therapy for building positive body-image and healthy sense of self; 4) Art therapy for self-awareness & therapeutic coaching; 5) Art & Spirituality Retreat (Please see below).
IMAGINING THE WORD SPIRITUAL RETREAT
The libretto of change
has no script
Like a ripple
it inadvertently disturbs
As the calm and stagnant
entertains a casual stirring
change reverberates
Genesis
upon genesis
- Karen Tan
LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!
Thank you for your interest. For any inquiries, art therapy needs, commission requests or studio visits, please drop me an email. I'll reply as soon as possible.