We feel a strange pull towards Michele Quan’s unique ceramic art. Originally from Vancouver and currently living with her husband, daughter, and dog in NYC, Quan runs the MQuan Studio from which she designs and sculpts handmade ceramic art and objects for the home and garden. Those become a canvas for her love of drawing, painting, text, and color – but also symbolism.
At a crossroads between art and function, her pieces include anything from dishes and candles to dream weavers and bells. Many of the objects and images are rooted in the visual symbols of Eastern iconography – their meaning and beauty of which she is continuously in awe.
“Many of the symbols that I am drawn to relate to the idea of connection, reverence, impermanence, and illusion (and the slaying of),” shared Quan in an interview with Hygge & West’s blog. “The visual symbolism of Eastern iconography has long been a cornerstone of my work that I feel speaks to our universal experience of the world, to our selves, and to others.”
Basic symbols from which she draws inspiration from, and which she incorporates throughout her work, are the sun, moon, and stars. “The sun and the moon are probably the oldest symbols there are, connecting us to time from the very beginning of the turning of the Earth with its moon around the sun to our present day!” exclaims Quan. “Mind-blowing, so beautiful, yet simple and direct. And we all still experience this turning daily; it’s both sacred and available to everyone.”
“I kind of went crazy with the sun, moon, and stars,” admitted Quan in another interview, referring to the symbols that appear throughout her work. “Black and white, the morning and the night … that kind of encompasses everything. They’re really straightforward, but they mean something to everybody.”
Quan stresses that the appeal of these symbols is their universal quality. “Everyone gets it, everyone relates to it. It’s common, but it’s also strangely really deep.” Made of clay and hand-painted with glaze, her work has an Earthiness to it that inspires a connection between man and nature.
Her Zen-like products are the perfect addition to any home. You can purchase yourself a piece here.
