ABOUT

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GRAPHIC DESIGN

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PAINTING

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PRINT MEDIA & PHOTOGRAPHY

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SCULPTURE

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VISUAL NARRATIVE

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@bu_visualarts

@bu_graphicdesign

@bostonpainting

@pmp.bu
@bostonsculpture
@buvisualnarrative

@sun_helenart

she/her

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Ziwei (Helen) Sun

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I explore the poetics of the body and mind primarily through ceramics, using the medium as a vessel for storytelling—revealing different selves each year and the various disguises I adopt in different relationships. I express my joy, pain, helplessness, and shame in an abstract way. Each piece I create carries a unique narrative, shaped by the evolving handprints, contours, and colors throughout the process. To me, ceramics mirror the human form—malleable, fragile, and resilient—constantly shaped by both intention and chance. Through my work, I seek to capture the ever-changing and evolving nature of selfhood.

My artistic practice embraces the unpredictable nature of ceramics, allowing randomness and abstraction to guide both the process and the final form. The way clay bends, cracks, and reacts to fire introduces an element of spontaneity, imbuing each piece with movement and life. Each year, I feel like a new person—altered by my surroundings and relationships, molded by my circumstances. I find meaning in this balance between control and surrender, letting my work evolve naturally. The organic forms, layered textures, and subtle imperfections in my work evoke a sense of intimacy.

I engage with clay intuitively, shaping it with soft folds that eventually harden into rigid forms. I enjoy the tactile pleasure of working with clay—feeling it in my hands and transforming its shape and texture. What is wet becomes dry. Through this exploration, I offer a meditation on the passage of time, using clay to capture the ever-shifting relationship between body, mind, and emotion.

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