Traversing Boundaries: The Sculptural Evolution of Hsu Yunghsu

Looking back at Hsu Yunghsu’s early creative practices before 2004, his works were primarily
driven by notions and emotions. Their expression aligned with his social perspectives and inner state. If they did not reflect his thoughts on life or social phenomena, they acted as a mirror or projection of his inner self. As a creator, a person is shaped and influenced by their living
environment, educational background, and physical and mental structure. However, if art, especially sculpture, merely serves as a simplified representation of the creator’s limited personal state, it risks becoming superficial and formalized. At this stage, Hsu seemed to have become aware of this issue. From 2003 through 2007, while studying for his master’s degree at Tainan National University of the Arts, he experienced a significant transformation in his creative approach.

The year 2005 represented a defining watershed moment in the evolution of Hus Yunghsu’s artistic journey. In the spring of that year, he traveled to the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in New York State, where he participated in an artist-in-residence program. During that period, he visited Dia Beacon, where he encountered firsthand the works of American Minimalist and Post-Minimalist artists—an experience that left a profound impression on him. Particularly, the uses of materials by Richard Serra (1938–2024), Michael Heizer (born 1944), and Fred Sandback (1943–2003), the spaces that their works have created, and the way they stimulated and activated the viewer’s physical perception prompted him to gain a new dimensional understanding of sculpture.

During Hsu’s residency in New York, the pressure of creation made him anxious. Without realizing it, he began kneading a ball of clay with his fingers, shaping what he described as “objects resembling cups or boats without any intended meaning” and “the extremely thin forms spread out toward the edges, where they appeared broken.” This seemingly unconscious action unexpectedly opened a new artistic dimension for him. The key was not the cup-like or boat-like object he had sculpted but rather the process of kneading, pressing, molding, and shaping. Through these motions, he momentarily let go of his attachment to established forms and styles. By immersing his body in the clay, Hsu Yunghsu reconnected with the essence of materiality, unlocking a new approach to sculpture.

As his creative thinking and methods evolved, Hsu Yunghsu’s works took on a completely different appearance from his earlier pieces. The year 2006 marked the beginning of his later innovations. He used his own body as a sculpting tool, never relying on others or mechanical assistance. Starting from the ground or a tabletop, his hands moved back and forth repeatedly while his body shifted in and out of the space. He shaped soft, elongated clay strips into three-dimensional structures. This sculpting method closely resembles the coil-building technique used in the earliest potterymaking stages after mankind entered the Neolithic era. However, he was not imitating objects or any recognizable figurative forms. Instead, he followed the natural properties of the material, layering the coils to build irregular oval loops with undulating, wave-like shapes. After the ceramic firing process was completed, he adjusted the orientation of the works for display. For large-scale sculptures, he typically arranged them in a tall and upright position. As Hsu moved his hands and body in and out of the sculptures, it evoked an experience akin to traversing through a passage of time and space.

Renowned American architect Louis Kahn (1901–1974) once offered a poetic rumination on the brick—architecture’s most fundamental unit—reflecting on how it might fulfill the highest potential of its material nature. Hsu Yunghsu, in his pursuit of sculptures that are both large and extremely thin, not only relied on his entire body in the creative process but also had to test the limits of his materials. Before firing, ceramic objects exist in a soft clay state. Their size and structure are affected by both the natural properties of the material and the stress caused by gravity.

Additionally, firing at temperatures over 1,200 degrees Celsius introduces unpredictable factors that can cause the structure to collapse if stress issues are not solved beforehand. To ensure a high success rate, Hsu had to carefully control the firing conditions and reduce uncertainties as much as possible. He applied a scientific approach to every step, including selecting the right clay, designing the kiln, handling the pieces, balancing the gas flames, and maintaining stable kiln temperatures. Through years of refinement, he developed his own unique kiln-building and firing techniques.

Inspired by Richard Serra, Hsu Yunghsu’s works often remind people of Serra’s massive steel structures made through forging techniques. However, not only are their materials completely different, but their creative processes also follow entirely distinct paths. The key difference lies in how American Minimalist and Post-Minimalist sculptors moved away from working directly with materials, instead relying heavily on industrially produced components and outsourcing fabrication. Serra also depended on specialized industrial processes. In contrast, although Hsu designed his own kiln, he adhered to the traditional artist’s hands-on approach. Working entirely on his own, even at the cost of exhausting physical labor, he firmly believes in the unique beauty and spiritual strength that comes from engaging his body in the artistic process.

Minimalism challenged the expressive approach of Abstract Expressionism, rejecting the idea of artworks as direct reflections of the artist’s emotions. Instead, the artist’s presence was removed, and the work existed independently as an object, defined by its material essence, waiting for the viewer to step into its space and engage with it. From the perspective of material exploration, Hsu Yunghsu may share a similar attitude with the aforementioned American sculptors. However, his approach to art fundamentally differs. His works are infused with the sensitivity and energy of his own body, giving the sculptures distinct forms and expressions. Traces of movement—such as fingerprints and hand impressions—are visibly present, proving the artist’s continuous involvement in the process. American art critic Harold Rosenberg (1906–1978), in his analysis of Action Painting during the Abstract Expressionist era, wrote, “A painting that is an act is inseparable from the biography of the artist.” Through the imprints left in his sculptures, viewers can sense Hsu’s presence in the moment of creation. In this regard, Hsu undoubtedly aligns more closely with the type of action artist Rosenberg defined.

Hsu Yunghsu rejects formalization and avoids repetition, returning to the essence of materials and simplifying complexity while allowing natural hand movements to guide his creations. His works are abstract, with intricate and unpredictable structures—far from minimalistic. Perhaps due to his deep physical and emotional involvement, his sculptures create a sense of connection to the earth as if linking to the forces of nature. The planet itself is like an immense kiln, shaping rocks and minerals from the mountains to the oceans over time. This may be why his works evoke the feeling of natural creation. Hsu Yunghsu fully understands both the strengths and limits of ceramics, allowing him to push past obstacles and create breathtaking and dynamic sculptural landscapes.