[26] Shino waves – vase 2 by Mud Rock Ceramics

“To hear Ng Seok Har and Michelle Lim talk about pottery is to experience love. They wax lyrical about how a vase is made, from the kneading and throwing of the clay, to bestowing it a form on the wheel, till it’s baptised by fire in the kiln.”

– “Obsessed Much: Ceramics” by Esquire Singapore

Mud Rock Ceramics Founders describes their work and creative process:
“If we can’t appreciate the beauty and craft behind a cup we use and hold to our lips daily, how can we understand fine art cases in museums,” [Mud Rock Ceramics] wanted to show others a connection between ceramics as a functional utility and an artistic object.”

– Tatler Asia

Shino waves – vase 2 is an exquisite Mud Rock collectable that was never put up for sale or display even though it was fired 11 years ago in 2014, because the founders, Ng Seok Har and Michelle Lim, kept it for their own collection after the stunning results post-firing.

The piece is glazed in Shino, a traditional glaze with minimum ingredients, and fired to 1280°C in a reduction atmosphere, resulting in flashes of orangey earth hues where flames are reduced the most, and milky white shades indicating areas that had more free-flowing oxygen.

About Mud Rock Ceramics:
Mud Rock is a ceramic studio based in Singapore, founded by ceramics artists Ng Seok Har and Michelle Lim, who have each been practising ceramics professionally for over 17 years.

We are makers of mud and clay who bond over the love of beautiful ceramics that serve us daily. From multiple bowls to a single sculpture, we find a never-ending joy in making, exploring and serving with clay.

With our own kilns, glaze laboratory and equipment, we are able to produce works, glaze formulas and even clay types for specific needs. Though dedicated to our craft, we believe in collaborations to see how our medium can complement others and to learn from those experiences.

Our current clientele comprises restaurants, design companies, architecture firms, government bodies, corporate organisations, and the quirky individual. With over 14 years of experience in the ceramics industry locally and internationally, we provide consultation on various ceramics projects as well.

With tongue-in-cheek, Mud Rock is named in reference to the local sub-culture of ‘Mat Rok’ in Singapore, as ceramic craft too is often teased as a sub-culture of the Arts. Michelle Lim and Ng Seok Har both fell in love with pottery on their individual journeys before coming together.

Driven by a lifelong love for the arts, Ng Seok Har left the banking industry to reinvest and develop her skills in ceramics making. Her journey in pottery started in Tokyo, Japan. Returning to Singapore, she continued her training intensively with a local potter, Jaqueline Low, before taking on an apprenticeship with a Thai ceramics production house under the guidance of the renowned Thai master, Somluk Pantiboon. Since then, Seok has been a full-time potter in Mud Rock and has exhibited locally and internationally as well.

As a professional ceramicist, crafts person and maker, Michelle is versatile and cross-disciplinary. She has been an industrial designer and educator of youth at risk, for which she has received awards, and has exhibited in several local and international solo and group ceramic shows. During her Ceramics Degree, she was awarded the much-coveted Sir Geoffrey Yeend Scholarship, and completed her Bachelors majoring in Ceramics with First Class Honours at the Australian National University. She has been practising ceramics for over 15 years now. As the co-founder of Awaken the Dragon, Singapore’s ceramics festival, Michelle has given TED talks on Ceramics in Singapore and also guest lectures at Art and Design schools in Singapore.

Specifications:
– Medium: Stoneware, shino glaze, reduction firing
– Dimensions: 19cm x 18cm
– Auction winner can collect Shino waves – vase 2 by Mud Rock Ceramics during Checkpoint Celebrates! 2025: The Fourth Trimester Gala or make shipping arrangements with our team