If I am successful in receiving the £10,000 bursary, the funding will directly support the development of a new body of work that explores the intersection of Chinese Taoist philosophy and Western ecofeminist thought through contemporary sculptural practice. As part of my PhD research, I am investigating how materiality, ecology, and temporality can serve as critical tools for reimagining our relationship with the natural world.
The bursary would allow me to undertake an extended period of fieldwork and material experimentation in rural Scotland, collecting natural and locally sourced materials such as stone, clay, and branches. These materials are central to my practice—not only for their ecological resonance, but also for their temporal qualities, fragility, and resistance. I intend to explore how these materials can embody Taoist notions of wu wei (non-action) and ziran (naturalness), while also engaging with ecofeminist ideas of care, reciprocity, and embodied knowledge.
My practice, rooted in Taoist philosophy and ecofeminist thought, offers a unique perspective on ecology, place, and material engagement that can contribute meaningfully to the creative landscape of Darlington. I believe my work can enhance the profile of the arts in the area by fostering slower, more attentive ways of seeing and being—qualities particularly resonant with the region’s natural environment and post-industrial heritage.
Through site-responsive sculptural installations using local and natural materials such as clay, stone, and organic matter, I aim to create spaces for quiet reflection and ecological awareness. I would seek to collaborate with local communities, artists, and historians to explore the layered histories of Darlington, reinterpreting them through the lens of contemporary ecological thought.
Workshops, talks, and process-led installations developed in situ would invite public participation and open dialogue around sustainability, care, and material storytelling. In doing so, I hope to contribute not only new work but also new methods of thinking and making that bridge philosophy, place, and practice, supporting Darlington as a growing hub for innovative, research-led creative inquiry.
How to Measure Nature is a comparative study in three parts based on Taoist
philosophy and ecofeminism. It explores the deep connection between the creaturely
nature of humans, and nature. Three ways to artistically document the invisible forces of nature. The natural forces are based on Western ecological philosophy and Chinese Taoist philosophy respectively. Through sculpture and (site-specific) installation, the
work presents the Taoist concept of emptiness and the transformation of energy.
Using materials such as clay, stones and plants, it captures the forces and changes in
the natural world where emptiness is not void but a source from which all things are
generated. Environments and materials, from Loch Lomond to soil, are combined to
trace the interaction of forces, matter, the Taoist ‘unity of heaven and humans’ and
Western ecological thought, and to create multiple layers and relations of humans,
other-than-humans, and ecosystems. Part I: Multispecies Interaction and Symbiosis investigates the symbiosis of
mushrooms and plants. Through the study of mycelium, it reveals how non-human life
forms are interconnected through complex ecological networks, creating symbiotic
cycles. Mushrooms are here a kind of ‘intermediary coordinator’ which links the life
cycles of different species, soil and clay as carriers of material memory, with the
mycelium resembling the Tao, invisible but always present. Part II: Transformation of Form and Space explores how natural forces shape and
transform materiality and space through subjecting ceramic cubes to wind, rain, heat
and the pull of gravity. The negative space of the ceramic cubes demonstrates the
unpredictability and irresistibility of these forces. As the Taoists say, everything is in a
state of flux, and the transformation of a material form is the continuation of another
form. Part III: The Flow and Change of Invisible Energy explores the flow and change of
invisible forces with ‘Qi’ as the core concept. According to Taoist theory, the universe is
filled with ‘Qi,’ an invisible energetic force that flows continuously through nature. In
this part of the work, it is explored through balloons and clay. As the balloon inflates
and deflates, the clay form collapses, creating textures and patterns of ‘Qi’. At the
same time, the work further shows how invisible forces shape tangible matter
resonating with the Taoist saying that ‘formlessness is better than form’.
I received my bachelor’s degree in Sculpture from Sichuan Fine Arts Institute in 2015. I completed two master’s degrees—one from the University of Dundee in 2022 and another from Sichuan Fine Arts Institute in 2023. I am currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Dundee.
The work Face Head Portrait of Clay Sculpture was admitted to the exhibition of “The Eye of the World and Finding Chongqing”, 2019, China.
The work was purchased by Luo Zhongli Art Museum, 2019, ChongQing, China
PhD works were selected for the Scottish Graduate School for Arts and Humanities, 2024, UK
https://sgsahresearch.com/portfolio/yimou-huang/
The work Chair was selected for the Dundee Design Festival, 2024, UK
https://www.creativescotland.com/news-stories/latest-news/archive/2024/08/dundee-design-festival-launch-full-programme-of-events-celebrating-10-years-of-its-status-as-a-unesco-city-of-design
Email: 2468150@dundee.ac.uk
Address: 1/L 289 HawkHill, Dundee, Dundee, Dundee, UK, DD2 1DN, GB
Local Authority: Dundee City Council
