Tofu Pallet

當代 2003年 阿亮（陳景亮）高溫色陶 豆腐盤

Ah Leon's artistic vision hovers between illusion and reality, between fine art and contemporary craft. Created in a trompe l'oeil (fool the eye) style, Tofu Pallet is intended to deceive viewers into thinking it is made of wood and tofu (soybean curd) when it is actually made of finely carved pieces of stoneware and ceramic.

A ceramicist trained in the tradition of Yixing wares, Ah Leon has adapted the convention of modeling works after natural objects,such as bamboo and melons, by incorporating an aesthetic derived from daily life and folk culture. In traditional Asian food markets, tofu is freshly made and stored on wooden pallets; in emulating this presentation, Ah Leon lends his piece a local, everyday appeal. He has skillfully merged the Western technique of trompe l'oeil with subject matter that has meaning and resonance within his Chinese background, forming a unique way for art to be viewed across cultures and time.

Formerly a student of the National Academy of Arts, Ah Leon spent several years as an artist-in-residence in the United States, where he became acquainted with American ceramic artists using trompe l'oeil styles. Tofu Pallet is part of a larger installation featuring several pallets and nearly a hundred pieces of "tofu."