JIANG MAXIANG

Born in Shaoxing, Zhejiang, Jiang Maxiang graduated from the Ceramic Art Department of the China Academy of Art with a bachelor's degree in 2006 and earned a master's degree from the Ceramic and Industrial Arts Department of the China Academy of Art in 2011. In 2011, he studied wood-firing techniques at Tokyo University of the Arts in Japan. In 2021, he began his doctoral studies at the China Academy of Art.

Specializing in wood-fired ceramics, Maxiang grounds his creative practice in the exploration of the natural dialogue between fire, clay, and ash. Wood-firing does not pursue perfect glazes or fixed forms; its charm lies precisely in the "controlled loss of control" within the kiln fire, ultimately revealing unique characteristics such as the kiss of ash, flowing glazes, and the symphony of fire marks. The core of its aesthetics lies in "transformation"—a sense of directional movement on the surface, colors imbued with the memory of fire, serving as an intuitive testament to the flux of life. However, wood-fired art remains appreciated within a niche domain. Over more than a decade of practice, he has pursued this transformation while contemplating the philosophical relationship between the narrative of the process and the value of the artwork.

Ark Kollekt presents five wood-fired ceramic works by Maxiang for Collection 17: Ball (I), Ball (II), Viewing The Moon, Viewing The Rocks (I), Viewing The Rocks (II).