New Forms, New Consciousness - ceramic special award (artistic ceramic creation) - Gold award: 18th IAI Global Design Award 2025 (Spring Competition)

New Forms, New Consciousness
"New Forms, New Consciousness" explores ceramic design as a phenomenological act—
shaping not just material but the intangible interplay of memory, identity, and spatial
boundaries. This project interrogates the duality of vessels as relational objects: their hollow
interiors and enclosing forms mediate between isolation and connection, preservation and
transformation. Drawing from Heidegger’s philosophy, the work redefines ceramics as
vessels whose cultural significance lies in their emptiness—the dynamic space that "grasps"
by receiving (taking) and retaining (keeping).
Through sculptural experimentation, the project bridges traditional craftsmanship and
contemporary discourse. The ceramic form becomes a metaphor for cultural heritage, where
boundaries (inside/outside) are not rigid but dialogic. For example, the belly of a vessel
invites filling, just as adaptive reuse revitalizes architectural voids. By fusing ceramic
techniques with spatial theory, the work proposes a modernist language for clay—one that
honors its tactile history while challenging its perceived limits.
This innovation aligns with the IAI Ceramic Innovation Award’s mission to merge tradition
with avant-garde thinking. The project transcends functional or decorative aims, positioning
ceramics as a medium for philosophical and cultural inquiry—a catalyst for redefining spatial
aesthetics in design.