00:00Maybe the flame of fire, to move
00:03just, you know, move across this artwork
00:06I call it Dancing Flame of Fire
00:18I'm Yulian Tee Tan
00:20I started this journey since 1980
00:23as I married to my husband
00:25he's the owner of the Dragon King, Mr Tan
00:30This company was started in 1965
00:33by my father-in-law
00:36My father-in-law, he moved into Singapore in 1965 from Malaysia
00:42and he bought over this Dragon Kiln
00:45to start productions with a small cottage industry
00:49to produce the latex cup
00:52This latex cup is a kind of the small container
00:55to collect the rubber sap from the rubber trees
00:59So after that, they start with the orchid pot
01:02and slowly move on to the ornaments
01:07made to order for the hotel use
01:09And we made earns in the time that Singapore reclaimed a lot of land
01:13When my husband took over
01:15the industry in the 80s is slowing down
01:19Then we import as the demand is low and the costing is higher
01:25I think in the early 90s, we stopped using the Dragon Kiln as a production
01:37Wood-firing kiln that was discovered in China during the Shang Dynasty
01:44So this Dragon Kiln was built by Briggs
01:47So they built this Dragon Kiln on a slope
01:50So technically, it's hot air rises
01:53So they have the firing box in front
01:56They're the main chamber to stack all your pieces
02:01And at the side of both sides of the kiln
02:05So they have a small hole to fit the firewood
02:15In the past, Singapore had so many of the Dragon Kilns
02:18In the Jurong area, there are more than 10
02:20Slowly, with the national development, this Dragon Kiln was banished
02:25Tau Kuang Dragon Kiln is the only operating Dragon Kiln that I have sustained
02:30and made this Dragon Kiln alive
02:32That is a kind of respect to our pioneer generation
02:39I have a group of friends
02:42It's very passionate
02:43We start research using the Dragon Kiln as an artist platform
02:50We are originally from the production line
02:54So I feel that the educational of the ceramic process is most important
03:00That's why I started in 2000
03:02That I switched a certain part of it as educational
03:07First, this is a potter's wheel
03:10I will explain this potter's wheel
03:12They will turn
03:13But in the past, we were using kicking wheel
03:16Right now, we use this pedestal to control the speed
03:21All right
03:21So you can do the full speed
03:25Half speed
03:26Okay
03:26I use foot to explain to you
03:28It's easier
03:30Do the burger
03:31Just now, it's a cone
03:32Now, it's a burger
03:36Full speed
03:36You're using full speed
03:41There, V-shape
03:43But not this
03:45Straight
03:49Actually, everybody in their heart have their own art
03:53I feel that have their own art
03:55No matter that how well you're doing it, you see
03:58But you have to attempt to try
04:02Everybody have their own creativity
04:05My workshop, I start with three steps
04:08From nothing, you need to create
04:10So you will get lost
04:11So I will hold your hand for the first step
04:14For the second step, I will hold you for half of your hand only
04:19I wanted to build up their confidence
04:22A lot of them, they can't build up the confidence
04:25To the new area or to the new item
04:28So the third step, I will say that I've given up
04:31I will hold only 25% of your hand to move on
04:36So they have the confidence
04:37So they can add in the design
04:39Follow the flow
04:41So when you reach your artwork
04:43You will automatically have your passion
04:46Your artwork, your heart is already fit into your artwork
04:55And open up slowly
04:59Your left hand and this thumb is here
05:03So now, you use the other hand
05:06Press your thumb
05:07Press your thumb
05:11Inside is holding
05:12You are pressing your thumb
05:17Then you can see they raise up already
05:22You must feel it
05:31So everybody thinks that ceramic is only on the potter's wheel
05:35Ceramic can be anything that you form it
05:38Forming the shape is by your own
05:41When I'm doing the workshop
05:43I cannot say that they come and learn the firing
05:48I should say that we are sharing how we fire
05:54Firing of the dragon kiln is a labour of love
05:58I want to control the fire
05:59But sometimes we are uncontrollable
06:03The space, the movement of the fire and the air is already different
06:08You know, every piece will be unexpected
06:10We do two days, three days firing
06:13So when they do the firing
06:15With the different kind of the wood
06:17The wood ash will be deposited into their artwork
06:20So they fire over the time or period
06:23This ash will melt, become a natural glaze
06:27So this is a uniqueness of the artwork
06:33So you want me to show you where I made one?
06:36Yeah, yeah, let's go see what you made
06:38Sure, come
06:41Come
06:43Oh, I can go this way
06:54This one all fired in the dragon kiln
06:57When I'm doing the dragon kiln firing
06:59Dragon kiln firing
07:01Because our energy is from burning the wood
07:05So the wood ash is deposited into this area
07:08So they melt and become this, you see
07:14Same thing like this
07:16This is no glaze
07:18This is no glaze
07:19So this one I glaze, I do the colour
07:23So that you see the wood ash drop here
07:25They melt into this area
07:29The people, they will compare
07:32Why you still use the tradition to do it
07:36What's the point?
07:37What's the meaning?
07:38For me, I say yes
07:40If you can do both sides
07:42What is a high-tech thing?
07:43That is to move forward globally
07:46But the history, you cannot rewind it
07:49Or to redo it
07:50But there is a value of it, you see
07:53Actually, I'm an electronic engineer
07:55I'm a computer engineer
07:57Actually, I'm an electronic engineer
08:00My personality, I try to challenge
08:02To try a lot of different things
08:05You see, to test whether
08:09How much percentage that my passion is
08:12But I think that everything I try, I enjoy it
08:16Once you love your career
08:19Everything is a learning journey
08:21I put all my heart into it
08:28I like this one
08:30Because when my first grandson was two years old
08:34Then I did some clay work
08:38That he pinched this one
08:40That's why I must keep
08:41He's now 13 years old
08:44So this, I like it
08:49I like this one
08:51This one is an old piece
08:55I look back to my journey
08:56Of my start of this workshop
09:00I start with my own self
09:03With a very small group
09:04So I had to start a one-man show
09:06From preparing the clay for the workshop
09:10Sharing the history
09:12And sharing the process
09:14Keep this area more relaxed
09:16When we step in here
09:17To do the workshop
09:18Or to brush around
09:20So from there, people can understand
09:23More of the process of the ceramics
09:25And they can value
09:28The value of the ceramics
09:30Rather than just the production
09:33Or the tableware
09:37I feel that I have a lot of community
09:40A lot of friendship through firing
09:44Still a lot of people appreciate
09:46Of my work
09:47Still a lot of people appreciate of it
09:51That's why when I opened up
09:52My dragon kiln for firing
09:56Two times a year
09:57This whole journey
10:00Is a team bonding
10:02That reflects me to improve
10:04To learn actually how to
10:08Make this workshop more valuable
10:10It means that more educational valuable
10:13It's not the artwork valuable
10:15So they inspire me a lot
10:22We don't balance ourselves
10:24From doing the work that we like it
10:28And with our income
10:30So how I move, how I share
10:32How I want to give back to the society
10:35How I want to share with the community
10:38So we all both have our own
10:40Responsibility on different parts of earth
10:44As you know, my husband and me
10:45That we are getting 70 soon
10:48So, you know, we are not so energetic also
10:52And the labour to maintain this area
10:56Is a challenge for us
11:01Our generation getting older
11:03So we need to fit in young ones
11:05To have the successor
11:07But this successor is not very easy
11:11Even not from the family members
11:13Or from others
11:14The people don't like this kind of career
11:17It's a long hour
11:19It's not in the air-con room area
11:22They want work from home
11:25Artwork, clay work, all this is a long journey
11:28Maybe you need to spend a few years
11:31To grow this passion
11:33I don't think that
11:35Finding a successor is not the time limit
11:39When the time comes
11:41When the right person comes and approaches you
11:44That is a person to really have passion
11:47There's a person that you can lay to them
11:53I'm just a normal, ordinary people
11:57I'm just sharing what I know
11:58But I'm just sharing what I know
12:00And people teach me and give me the correct way
12:04So I think that I cannot say that
12:07My legacy is on this part
12:09I think that everybody has a different way
12:11I'm learning from others
12:13Dare themselves, give them a legacy
Comments