Master ceramicist Jason Lim partook in a residency at the Yogya Art Lab (YAL) in 2018, where he produced intricate clay sculptures that alluded to overlooked fragments in nature—objects like rocks and stones, which to him have a life of their own. There, he deepened his relationship to his materials, in which working with clay and experimenting with alternative firing techniques allowed him to collaborate with the unpredictability, and ultimately, fragility of natural things.

This recent series Shape of Life continues Lim’s ongoing fascination with the endless possibilities of low-temperature clay to mimic the raw and organic forms of nature. Abstract sculptures in various earthy and marbled colours—dark green, rust, blue mixed with brown—reference natural filters, nests and underground networks ubiquitous in the natural world. The repetition of irregular holes across the pieces alludes to the rhythmic, contemplative process that went behind the creation of each piece. Moreover, these circular motifs represent the cyclical movements that pervade nature: births and deaths; beginnings and endings; and the endless evolutions of organisms and ecosystems, becoming increasingly complex yet harmonious.