Contemplating at Ease

Contemplating at Ease brings together the work of kintsugi artist makomako and fiber artist Ulaan in a three-day exhibition at THE BLANC Art Space, on view from September 1 to 3, 2023. As the second installment of the BlancAtelier series, the exhibition invites viewers to slow down and engage with the philosophy, process, and quiet precision embedded in each artwork. Centered on themes of repair, transformation, and material memory, Contemplating at Ease offers a space for reflection—where craft becomes a meditative act and attention a form of care.

Ulaan's soft sculptures, stemming from her Mongolian heritage and her spiritual journey as a Tibetan Buddhist, are a gentle interplay of repetitive needle-poking that brings physical pain and the inherent warmth of wool. Such duality echoes the balance of gentleness and resilience inherent in the wool's origin. Harvested from sentient beings, it carries with it the energy and history of life, a tactile manifestation of the ebb and flow of existence.

On the other hand, makomako introduces us to kintsugi—a Japanese art form where the broken shards of ceramics find a new lease of life, unified with golden joins. The technique of kintsugi itself revealed the illusionary nature of “perfection”. Through her exhibited works, makomako aims to show viewers these once-shattered pieces in a new light, inviting reflection on life’s imperfections.

Artists harbor Buddhist symbolism with the raw allure of wool and ceramic to reflect on their perceived life's fragility. Named in honor of Avalokiteśvara bodhisattva, the theme of this exhibition “Contemplating at Ease”(in Chinese: “觀·自在”) encompasses two core ideas: “contemplating(觀)” signifies an intense, profound observation beyond the mere superficial, while “at ease(自在)” conveys a state of being that is inherently complete, unaffected by external changes. It invites viewers to immerse in a transformative dialogue between the delicate dance of life’s impermanence and the deep-rooted desire for inner serenity.

In uniting these two art practices, theBLANC, together with the two artists, aspires to illuminate the idea that true beauty often lies hidden within imperfections, waiting to be acknowledged, celebrated, and revered. Whether through the soft embrace of felt or the glistening gold of restored ceramics, the message resonates—impermanence is not an end, but a path to understanding and appreciation.

Artist

Ulaan (Yang You) is an artist and event planner based in New York. Her soft sculptures take inspiration from both the artist’s observation of the world and her spiritual journey as a Buddhist. She holds an MS from New York University and BFA from the School of Visual Arts.

makomako is a kintsugi artist and Chanoyu practitioner based in New York City. The breaking of a tea bowl led her to the art of Kintsugi. Studied with lacquer masters Gen Saratani and Rongqiang Wu, she greatly enjoys working with her hands and has restored objects made of various materials.

Curator

Yimeng Sun