Ting- Ju SHAO 邵婷如資歷與創作自述                 objective Ceramist, Author and Illustrator http://www.ncu.edu.tw/~ncu7195/exhibit/93/ex4/index.html(Chinese Website 中文網站） http://shaotingju.blogspot.com(Chinese Website 中文網站） work experience   1963生於台灣台北，自1985年開始從事陶藝創作至今22年，作品受邀展覽於美國、加拿大、日本、匈牙利、紐西蘭、英國、義大利、丹麥、德國、希臘、中國大陸、克羅埃西亞、韓國、瑞士、阿根廷、斯洛伐克、愛爾蘭與台灣美術館、博物館、藝廊等，國內國外邀請展88次，個展11次。 1996年受邀美國NCECA參加紐約「台灣館」展出，1997年為美國佛羅里達中央大學邀請藝術家，1998年為日本信樂「陶藝之森」駐地藝術家，1999年為匈牙利「國際陶藝中心」邀請藝術家，2000年為日本武雄巿邀請藝術家，2001年為丹麥「國際陶藝中心」獎學金補助駐地藝術家，2002年為日本信樂「陶藝之森」駐地藝術家，2004年為美國密尼蘇達Northern Clay Center 的客座藝術家, 2005年“台灣陶藝家在阿根廷巡迴展” 布市建築博物館,國立密西恩大學,聖尼可拉斯市， 2006年愛爾蘭國際陶藝大會邀請藝家，斯洛伐克國際陶藝工作營 Ekostavby Firm邀請藝術家，, 2008年受邀匈牙利 Silkos 國際陶藝創作營邀請藝術家。作品為德國（Westerwald 陶藝美術館）、匈牙利（I.C.S 美術館 ,Janus Pannonium 美術館、）、希臘（雅典Benaki美術館）、義大利（恩札國際陶藝美術館）、美國（佛羅里達中央大學基金會）、日本（滋賀縣陶藝之森美術館、九洲武雄文化會館）、韓國（利川美術館）、瑞士（日內瓦Arian美術館）與丹麥（丹麥國際陶藝中心），阿根廷（國立密西恩大學）典藏共計19件，國內則為國立歷史博物館、台北市立美術館與台北縣立鶯歌陶瓷博物館，寒舍藝廊共計6件。 2001年通過「國際陶藝學院」甄選為 I.A.C 會員（總部於瑞士日內瓦）。2005年獲阿根廷「第二屆聖尼可拉斯當代馬賽克雙年展」的「評審雕塑獎」, 2004年獲得美國明尼蘇達McKnight基金會「McKnight駐地藝術獎」，2003年作品入選韓國國際陶藝雙年展，2001年與1993年作品入選義大利凡恩札國際陶藝大賽， 1996獲中華民國第六屆陶藝雙年展首獎- 典藏獎，1992入選紐西蘭裘立富國際陶藝大賽，1993、1992、1991、1990分別入選和優選國立歷史博物館（陶藝雙年展)、台北市立美術館(巿美展)、台北縣文化中心(縣美展)。 2008年受邀 「陶博館創作申請展」評審 (台北縣立鶯歌陶瓷博物館) 。2007年受邀擔任「第五屆台北獎」評審 (台北縣立鶯歌陶瓷博物館) 。2004年受邀擔任「2004 JEROME 藝術家獎學金」評審委員 (明尼蘇達州．McKnight基金會)．美國。2003年受邀擔任「第一屆台灣國際陶藝雙年展」籌備常設委員 (文建會·台北縣立鶯歌陶瓷博物館)。2002年受邀擔任「壺非壺國際茶壺展」諮詢委員 (台北縣立鶯歌陶瓷博物館)。2001年受邀擔「國際大型雕塑邀請展」諮詢委員(台北縣立鶯歌陶瓷博物館) 。 邵婷如著有「國際當代陶藝家論述報導」40多篇、出版陶藝作品專集二本，為台灣「陶藝」雜誌與德國「新陶藝」雜誌的特約撰稿, 其陶藝作品的專文評論被刊登於澳洲國際陶藝雜誌“Ceramics Art and Perception”, 希臘國際陶藝雜誌“ Clay in Art International”,德國國際陶藝雜誌“New Ceramics”,國際最大陶藝網站澳洲“Ceramic Today”與台灣“Taiwan Review” 等國際陶藝雜誌刋物 。她同時於1991年開始從事插畫至今出版筆記書50多本，散文集2本，圖畫書4本 。 Shao’s works have been displayed in 88 selected exhibitions and 11 solo exhibitions in the following locations: •Europe: Denmark, Hungary, Italy, Germany, Greece, England, Croatia ,Ireland , Slovakia, etc. •Asia: Japan, Taiwan, Korea, China, etc. •America : U.S.A. , Canada , Argentina •New Zealand Over 25 pieces of work have been collected by museums or foundations in countries including: •Switzerland - Arian Museum, Geneva •Japan - Takeo Cultural Hall, Takeo; The museum of Shigaraki Cultural Park, Shigaraki •Italy - International Ceramics Museum, Faenza •Hungary - International Ceramic Studio, Kecskement Baranyai Alkotótelepek,Siklos •Denmark - International Ceramic Center, Saslskor •Greece – Benaki Museum, Athens •Germany - Keramikmuseum Westerwald, Hoehr-Genzhausen •Taiwan - Taipei County Yingko Ceramic Museum, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, National Museum of History •Korea - Icheon World Ceramic Center •United States - University of Central Florida, Ontario, FL •Argentina-University of National Misiones •Slovakia-The Ceramic Park- Tartuf Castle Hotel Awards •Special mention of the Sculpture Award -The International Ceramic Museum , San Nicolas, Argentina •McKnight Artist-In-Residence Award 2004 - Northern Clay Center, MN, U.S.A •Honorable Awards of World Ceramic Biennale 2003 - World Ceramic Biennale, Korea •International Ceramics Biennial 2001, 1994 - Faenza, Italy •Fletcher Challenge International Ceramic Competition 1992 - New Zealand •R.O.C. Ceramics Biennial 1996 - First Place •R.O.C. Ceramics Biennial 1993, 1992 and 1991 - National Museum of History, Taiwan •Taipei Annual Art Exhibition 1990 Dates   education skills Shao was accepted as a member of I.A.C in 2001. She is the committee consultant for the first Taiwan Ceramics Biennale International Competition (2004). Shao was invited to be member of the Council for Cultural Affairs, Executive Yuan, R.O.C. Shao served as committee consultant for The International Tea Pot Exhibition in 2002 and The International Large Scale Ceramics Sculpture Exhibition in 2001, both which took place in The Taipei County Yingge Ceramics Museum. She has also served as a general committee consultant for The Taipei County Yingge Ceramics Museum. Shao was invited by the McKnight Foundation to be juror for the Jerome Artist Project Grants (MN, U.S.A.) in 2004. Shao writes articles for "Ceramic Art" in Taiwan and“ New Ceramics “ in Germany. She is also an illustrator who has in the past 15 years published more than 50 journals, 4 picture books, and book about art. references Artist’s Statement Ting-Ju Shao Being a participant in this universe, I have been asking the following questions ever since my younger days: "Why was I born?" and "Why am I here?" And due to the difficult situation Taiwan faces in the international arena, I often start to think: "Why was I born a Taiwanese?" For the very reason that I am so strongly interested in our species, my work in ceramics has always used the sculpting of human figures to reflect the artist's concepts. I recorded a single shape to explore the suffering and imprisonment of souls and bodies, as well as the desire to free the minds. Using different combinations of clay figures, I demonstrate the tension, hostility and dependence of people with their society, as with the harmonious or destructive relationship between man and nature. Enlarging the limbs of the human figures is to project a “freeze frame” record of the environment and myself. It is a continuous recording of my realization of my position in this universe, what I touched and what I saw. Recently, I became very interested in the destination of souls and have tried to explore this. In recent years, people have abused the resources in this world. A lot of damages have been done to nature, and that resulted in a lot of disasters of magnitude. This is a warning signaled by Mother Nature to us. For this very reason, the exhibition in Kyoto, Japan, 2002, was meant to be a reflection of the respective relationship between nature and us, with birds representing Mother Nature. For a bird that is manifested to 100 centimeters, and a human figure shrink to 10 centimeters, their relative ratio is a reminder for us who are the guests passing this world. The work was titled “The Seventy-Seven Gentle Warnings”, and its theme was represented by seventy-seven birds positioned in a circle around the small human figure in the middle. The number seventy-seven is taken from the bible, in which Jesus once told Peter “to forgive seventy-seven” times. Effectively, it is telling us to be generous in our forgiveness, which is what Mother Nature has been to us as well. “Meeting the beautiful green light of the universe” is another work, represented by a human figure of 68 centimeters. He was looking at the small Angel positioned in the middle of his palm with a mutual understanding. Only when people can understand this intricacy of wonders created by God, and through his own humbling, then we can achieve a balance in the geo-cycle with Mother Cycle. For the past 21 years, the clay figures always took on a small head with a fat body. The toes protruding from underneath. This is a reflection of the greed in this polluted world, people have lost their innocence, and all the efforts were used to think of obtaining small advantages. The size of the head became relatively small in this disproportion of energy. Yet, the toes are a remainder of the true nature of ourselves, one that cannot be hidden and should be drawn back into focus. The use of multimedia is also a reflection of the contrast between material substance and the concept of time, just as the physical existence and the time of existence of all life on earth. The final disappearance of the physical body mirrors the fact that one day, the ceramic bird or figure can also be broken. The use of iron and wooden frame denotes the eternity of time. The use of feathers, which could represent the feather on the back of the angels, or the little wings on the angles; in turn draws on the symbolic representation of our faith in trust, hope and aspiration. While there are something in this universe which does not take on a physical form, our faith will remain the striving force that seek to maintain a balance with the universe. The title of the work also constitutes an important poetic element; it is in itself like a narrative poem, revealing the in-depth meaning of the ceramic art.