About

Yangzi Huang's journey into the world of ceramic art took a transformational turn when she moved from a Brooklyn apartment to a rural upstate New York home. Immersed in nature, she found herself observing the instinctual behaviors of animals, inspiring her to create her own shelters through art.

Her To Roost: A Temporary Perch series reflects this transition, with each room-like sculpture drawing inspiration from ant colonies, beehives, tree hollows, and dens. These works evoke a sense of security and enclosure, reminiscent of animal habitats.

Crafting these nests in clay became a form of self-healing for Yangzi, providing a refuge for herself and others. Each ceramic sculpture stands alone yet connects to form living biotypes.

Yangzi's work emphasizes materiality, combining low-fire red clay from upstate New York, kaolin from Florida, and porcelain from Jingdezhen. This process mirrors swallows gathering mud to build nests, reflecting the labor of inhabiting and creating.