When I started potting I was known as Wailin HING although WONG is my proper Chinese surname.  I am one of four sisters:  Eva NG, Ehlin YOUNG, myself as the third daughter and Meilin CHONG my youngest sister.  My interest in pottery was started when at school and in time I became a full-time potter doing a range of work in earthenware, stoneware and terracotta figures.  Another of my interests is in sericulture the raising of silkworms, reeling off the silk thread and weaving as well as painting and printing books on a hand-press.  Our father was very strict and did not always approve of my interests and I married a non Chinese husband.  The only one of my sisters to do so.

The photograph of my father's Chinese dulcimer (a foong kum I was told it was called) which he used to play to console himself after my mother's death.  My figures termed "peopilics" were first modelled on my daughter and son when they were young children.  My Chinese heritage shows itself more in my early pots when I lived with my family but over the years I find myself returning to some of the shapes that are typically oriental again.

Wailin Wong ELLIOTT

2016

Wailin ELLIOTT

It was the potter Peter LANGE who told me Wailin Wong ELLIOTT [黃惠蓮] was the first Chinese potter in New Zealand. One of four WONG [黃] sisters: Eva [綺華], Ehlin [綺蓮], herself and Meilin [美蓮], she is a renowned artist who has practised with a range of art media.

I photographed her father’s Chinese musical instrument in the shade of her tranquil garden to contrast with the brightly lit ‘childlike at heart’ Wailin and her peopilics series of Chinese figures.

King Tong HO

2016

最初制作陶艺时, 我的名字是 Wailin HING, 虽然黄才是我正确的中文姓氏。我家共有四姊妹：黄美莲、黄绮华、黄绮莲和我, 我是第三名女儿。我对陶艺的兴趣, 始于求学时期, 之后成为全职陶艺师, 制作陶器、石器和红陶器。我也喜爱养蚕、以缫丝编织; 绘画和以手动印刷机印书籍。父亲管教很严, 不大赞同我的兴趣和嫁与非华裔丈夫, 是四姊妹中的唯一一个。

照片中是父亲的中式乐器 dulcimer, 母亲离世后, 他经常弹奏, 以抚慰寂寥。我的陶偶名 "peopilics", 是以我的年幼子女为模特儿。与家人同住时, 我早期的陶艺制作, 表现出我的中国传统; 而多年后的制作, 我发觉在形态上回复东方特色。

黄惠莲

2016

黄惠莲

陶艺师 Peter LANGE 告诉我黄惠莲是纽西兰的第一位华裔陶艺师。她家共有四姊妹：黄美莲、黄绮华、黄绮莲及黄惠莲自己。她是利用各种物料创作的知名艺术家。

我在宁静的园内树荫下, 拍摄她父亲的中式乐器；却在明亮阳光下, 拍摄童心的惠莲与她一系列的peopilics 陶偶合照。

何经棠

2016

最初製作陶藝時，我的名字是 Wailin HING，雖然黃才是我正確的中文姓氏。我家共有四姊妹：黃美蓮、黃綺華、黃綺蓮和我，我是第三名女兒。我對陶藝的興趣，始於求學時期，之後成為全職陶藝師，製作陶器、石器和紅陶器。我也喜愛養蠶、以繅絲編織；繪畫和以手動印刷機印書籍。父親管教很嚴，不大贊同我的興趣和嫁與非華裔丈夫，是四姊妹中的唯一一個。

照片中是父親的中式樂器 dulcimer，母親離世後，他經常彈奏，以撫慰寂寥。我的陶偶名 "peopilics"，是以我的年幼子女為模特兒。與家人同住時，我早期的陶藝製作，表現出我的中國傳統；而多年後的製作，我發覺在形態上回復東方特色。

黃惠蓮

2016

黃惠蓮

陶藝師 Peter LANGE 告訴我黃惠蓮是紐西蘭的第一位華裔陶藝師。她家共有四姊妹：黃美蓮、黃綺華、黃綺蓮及黃惠蓮自己。她是利用各種物料創作的知名藝術家。

我在寧靜的園內樹蔭下, 拍攝她父親的中式樂器；卻在明亮陽光下, 拍攝童心的惠蓮與她一系列的 peopilics 陶偶合照。

何經棠

2016