YenYu Lien - Special Program at Alfred University

Unfurling

Being brave

Expanding outward with hope

Seeking life and adventure

This series centers around the circle, an enduring symbol of peace, joy, harmony, and transformation. Inspired by the seed structures of natural plants, hand-built pottery from the Han Dynasty, Egyptian art, and Native American pottery, the work embraces organic forms, asymmetrical balance, motion, and rich texture.

Each sculpture begins with a central spherical form from which interconnected spheres and bean-like forms expand outward—symbols of unity, growth, and new beginnings. Using pinch, coil, and wheel-throwing techniques, each element is smoothed and refined before assembly. Rough textures added at joints represent the challenges and growing pains faced through different stages of life. These textures gradually incorporate into the central sphere, creating harmony, but also indelible evidence of adaptation.

Footless structures convey movement—wiggling, stretching, and reaching—capturing ephemeral moments frozen in time, imbued with yearning. Each sculpture carries a seed pod, suggesting the potential of new beginnings.

Surface treatment details are vital to the collection to further emphasize tone. Matte pastel glazes lend warmth and softness, while abstract textures—resembling seeds, lava, and gloop—add depth and dynamism, inviting touch and closer engagement.

Through the interplay of form, movement, and surface—enhanced with the soda and oxidation firings—“Unfurling” captures a moment of balance between stillness and transformation. Each moment is an invitation to seek , to explore, and to connect—be brave, knowing change and growth will leave a lasting impression.