Weeds

Weeds are unwanted plants that grow wild and inhibit the growth of crops. Among them are many endangered species, as well as unidentified species resulting from the cross-breeding of new varieties. Both phenomena stem from globalisation processes, through which not only people but also organic matter, including seeds, move freely.

The word ‘weeds’ takes on a specific meaning in the context of Chinese social reality. There, the term is used to describe dissidents – people who disagree with the political line of the Chinese Communist Party, seek to change the status quo, and are consequently repressed. ‘Weeds’ fight against the system, and it is thanks to them that information about how the Chinese government violates citizens’ rights reaches the rest of the world. News from China, like seeds, spreads across the globe, carrying hope for a change in this situation.

The project was inspired by the Chinese flora of a region where, using methods that have remained unchanged for hundreds of years, kaolin – the primary raw material for porcelain production – is prepared in its purest form. These plants – dusted with kaolin clay mixed with street dust, camouflaged and almost completely blending into their surroundings – served as my inspiration for creating a series of plates. I employed two techniques: underglaze cobalt painting (Chinese ‘qinghua’ literally means ‘blue flowers’), the oldest technique, considered a milestone in the history of Chinese porcelain, and the technique of painting using stencil spraying, typical of anti-establishment activities. The herbarium-style plates bring to mind porcelain epitaphs, or commemorative and propaganda plates celebrating the images of distinguished figures.