Ceramics
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GU
The ceramic sculpture series GU originates from a deep engagement with the ancient Chinese Gu-vessels of the Shang and Zhou dynasties. Günther releases the historical form from ritual utility and translates it into a contemporary visual language. The sculpture opens in both directions and rests upon a mirror reflecting the sky or the self while its form moves from expansion through a moment of intense concentration like a passage between life and death. Conceived as pairs, the space between the two sculptures corresponds to the elliptical orbit of the Earth around the Sun, creating an invisible energetic field where the unseen emerges and becomes tangible.
Guardian
The Guardian series presents archetypal contemporary sculptures that exist between figuration and abstraction through meditative minimal forms and rotating silhouettes reminiscent of ancient Janus figures yet stripped of fixed iconography. Each sculpture is a statement within space that expands in all directions through rotation while resisting a fixed frontal view and denying visual access to an interior space. Conceived as contemplative archaic guardians, the works embody inward concentration, silence, protection, and a calm unreadable presence that stands in contrast to the permanent visibility of contemporary life.
Yellow Vessels
The yellow glaze reflects the recurring significance of this colour across different periods of East Asian history where it was associated with imperial authority, spiritual power, and wisdom. Rooted in the enduring formal language of Chinese ceramics, the sculptures maintain a restrained and balanced presence. The narrow vertical opening draws attention towards the radiant gold center that intensifies the sense of inward concentration and luminous presence.
Celadon Vessels
The series draws on the ancient Chinese celadon tradition and its historical association with jade as a symbol of purity, protection, and spiritual transcendence while transforming the vessel into a contemplative sculptural form. Fine craquelé across the surface records pressure, time, and fragility, embodying a delicate balance between control and openness. A precise vertical slit interrupts the closed body to reveal a glowing gold center revealing its inner sanctuary, while creating a permeable threshold between inside and outside and inviting a quiet exchange between visibility and concealment.
