2024 biennial North
Queensland
Ceramic Awards

City of Townsville Art Collection Award – $10,000 Acquisitive

Ruby Yu-Lu Yeh

Of Motherhood 2023

Stoneware
Iron oxide calligraphy; sprayed glaze
70 x 45 x 46 cm

About the Artwork

This work relates to my thoughts surrounding motherhood, my mother, the women I’ve met, and my friends who became mothers. I reflected on the societal expectations of women, especially as I find myself in my mid-30s surrounded by both seasoned and new mothers. I contemplated the physical and emotional strength of my mother, giving birth to my premature brother alone in a foreign country. I thought about the challenges of infertility, IVF, pregnancy, and miscarriage.

These reflections stirred a profound emotional response within me. Through an open call for anonymous words from other people’s contemplations on the topic, I found solace in their words as I wrote them onto my vessel. This vessel is a tribute to all the women I have encountered, whether childless or not, contemplating motherhood, struggling to conceive, or dealing with societal expectations. I want them to read the words, contribute their own stories, and create a sense of togetherness.

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About the Artist

Ruby Yu-Lu Yeh is a Taiwanese–Australian ceramic artist in Meanjin/Brisbane. She uses wheel-throwing and hand-building techniques to create and develop works that can be sculptural and/or functional. Ruby’s current exploration focuses on creating larger vessels as an internal dialogue between her Eastern upbringing and Western education. Ruby has exhibited in Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney and during her residency in Japan. She was a finalist in the National Emerging Art Prize (2021 and 2023) and a finalist with a Highly Commended Award in The Siliceous Award for Ceramics Excellence (2023).