Bai Ming is renowned for his ceramic art, yet he cannot be classified solely as a ceramic artist. Bai Ming is a contemporary artist, yet he cannot be fully understood within the context of the contemporary art world. Bai Ming is a Chinese artist, yet he cannot be confined to the boundaries of Chinese culture.
Bai Ming explores ink painting, oil painting, and even lacquer, but among the various materials he employs, ceramics hold a special place. The uniqueness of ceramics stems from its historical significance. China is the birthplace of ceramics, and its rich tradition encompasses the enigmatic Yangshao painted pottery, the vibrant Tang tri-color glazed ceramics, the elegant Song celadon, and the lively and refined Yuan and Ming blue and white porcelain. These ceramics fully embody the perfect fusion of traditional Chinese craftsmanship and artistry. Bai Ming draws inspiration from this heritage, making him exceptionally privileged. However, as a contemporary artist, ceramics also serve as a unique gateway for Bai Ming to enter the realm of modernity. Influenced by Western philosophers of the 20th century, who drew inspiration from ancient Chinese vessels and the Daoist philosophy of emptiness, Bai Ming has liberated “materiality” from the confines of “object”. Art has thus been thoroughly emancipated. Bai Ming's artistic journey can be seen as a transition from “object-making” to “the return of things”, rising above material temptation and merging himself with the external world.
When we encounter Bai Ming's works, the first thing that captures our attention is the expression conveyed through the tactile sensation. Ceramics possess a captivating allure, exuding elegance and intellect. The interweaving lines beneath the white porcelain glaze resemble the sprouting branches of spring, imbued with an elusive liveliness. They resemble swaying reeds singing in the wind, or the elegant clouds drifting across the blue sky. The interplay and fusion of white, blue and ochre evoke a sense of A Lotus Dream under the Blue Sky. It embodies the Endlessness of nature, the deep Compassion of Spring Mountains, and the harmonious coexistence of external objects and the inner self, resulting in a sense of Freedom and Happiness.
Bai Ming embodies the spirit of “studying the nature of things”. With the mindset of an archaeologist, he visually excavates Relics, Ancient City Grottoes and Road of Jiaohe Relics. He creates a new landscape of Mountains, Waters and Time, enabling us to listen to the Sound of Time with our eyes. In Under Mysterious Light and Between Ceramics and Stone, we glimpse the past and the future through battered Cultural Worm Hole. The Spigot, which resembling a wordless book, inscribes the traces left by nature and time. The Appliance·Form and Process with diverse shapes opens up a path of Zen. What is most unforgettable is every palm-sized Bai's cup that transports us from the mundane world into a state of intoxicating contemplation.
In Bai Ming's artistic world, the third dimension and the second dimension transform in each other, softness and hardness become one, limits of materials are shattered, time and space are also repositioned. In this newly opened realm, human intervention yields to nature, and “object-making” ultimately turns back to “the return of things”. Murmuring Speech of Objects, where does this heart find peace? Wang Tao