ZHU OHMU

Zhu Ohmu is a contemporary artist based in Melbourne working primarily with ceramics. She graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) from Elam School of Fine Arts, Auckland, New Zealand in 2012. Her work investigates the resurgence of the handmade and the ethics of slowness in an age of mass production. Zhu Ohmu’s work explores the conversation between nature, traditional crafts and new technologies.

 Her recent works focus on coiled ceramic vessels with the initial concept for this body of work being a response to the rise in popularity of 3D printed ceramics. Responding to biomimicry - the human-made processes imitating systems of nature- Zhu Ohmu sought to copy the method of 3D printed coils mounted on top of each other through handcrafting this technique.

 Built through stacking, folding, pressing, and pulling, these vessels are often dictated by the weight of moist clay with forms emerging intuitively, often pushed to their structural limits. By spending time with the physical matter through play and observation, the insight into plasticity and workability allows an intimate manipulation of the material.

 Throughout creation, the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi - the acceptance of transience and imperfection, is embraced. In the absence of firmware or a mechanical process, no two works can be the same. This becomes a celebration of the artist's hand in the age of automation.