Badminton Garden (Mao Pao Tong)

8/3/2016

Badminton Garden (Mao Pao Tong)
ceramic and found objects
installed at Lanzhou City University

This piece was inspired by the flower bud of the Mao Pao Tong Tree. When we arrived in Lanzhou the buds had just fallen from the trees and were scattered everywhere. They were quite lovely and delicate.
With the aid of several students and faculty at the university we created over 200 ceramic Mao Pao Tong Buds and installed them in a full sized Badminton court recreated in the gallery. Badminton is a very popular sport in China and courts are ubiquitous.
The installation is intended as a kind of meditation garden. As you move through the space you have to be very aware of your body and the ceramic flower buds. It raises questions about one's relationship to nature.
An enormous thank you to all the people who helped me make this piece a reality. I couldn't have done it without their help! Here are a few of the people who helped, pictured below:
Qi Zi
Xie Zhe
Su Hi Lin
Su Yan Chi
"Lou"
"Ray"
Su Fian Ching

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About David

David J. P. Hooker lives and works in the greater Chicago area, where he is an artist and Chair of the Art Department at Wheaton College. He received an M.F.A. in Ceramics from Kent State University and a B.A. in English from Furman University.

His artistic practice explores the inherent value of materials, objects, and places, hoping to find ways to better connect and understand the world we live in. Recently he was awarded the Dunhuang Ceramic Residency and spent two months as artist in residence in Lanzhou, China.

When David is not freaking out over deadlines, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Elaine, his children Abbey and Samuel, and the family cat, Evee. He also enjoys baseball, BBQ, and tennis—not necessarily in that order.

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