Art & Design Forum | Yixin (Leo) Chen

A Study of Creative Approaches in Multi-colour Clay 3D Printing: From Invisible Rules to Material Image

HDR Confirmation of Candidature Presentation

This research explores the expressive possibilities of material images through multi-colour clay 3D printing. It grows out of my ceramic practice and an interest in how the material qualities of an image contribute to visual expression. The study considers how digital experience and material experience shape these images, with the aim of extending the visual possibilities of multi-colour clay printing.

Digital images are used as resources for developing visual ideas and exploring how they can take form in clay. Experience with digital tools shapes how these resources are used, including what an artist can imagine and how those ideas can be realised. Material experience informs decisions about which qualities of an image matter to the work and how they can be expressed in clay. The research examines how these forms of experience inform creative judgement. It also considers how working with material images may change the artist’s understanding and use of the medium.

The study adopts a practice-based approach, recognising that the visual possibilities of this work depend on how its methods of making develop. Creative practice and technical research will therefore develop together. Creative intentions guide technical development, while new techniques and material discoveries may change those intentions and suggest further directions for the work. The research aims to produce a body of ceramic work and develop an adaptable approach to multi-colour clay printing. Through making and critical reflection, it seeks to explain the knowledge gained through practice and offer methods and insights that other practitioners can consider in relation to their own materials and creative concerns.

Yixin (Leo) Chen is a ceramist and researcher whose work explores the use of digital technologies in contemporary ceramics. During postgraduate study at the China Academy of Art, Leo took part in research at the Key Laboratory of Traditional Heated-form Craft Technology and Digital Design, Ministry of Culture and Tourism (TCDD). This work involved applying digital methods to traditional ceramic techniques, carrying out material tests and exploring digital fabrication in ceramic making. These experiences have shaped an approach that considers both materials and technology, connecting technical research with creative practice. Working primarily with ceramics, Leo values experimentation and draws on methods from different disciplines. This practice explores how traditional crafts can develop through contemporary technologies and how different ways of making can open up new possibilities for ceramic art.