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       本次展览以“铄石”为题，取自楚辞“十日代出，流金铄石”，用来形容十个太阳轮替高温融化金石的自然伟力。亿万年前，你我脚下的这方水土正以地火之力融炼岩浆，再以流水之势将其凝结、冲刷成型，形成南京独有的雨花美石。艺术家小草，从事陶瓷艺术创作，是土生土长的南京姑娘。她常说陶瓷创作是将山石土壤经人的意志熔融凝结的过程，如同造物主在星球的熔炉里熔炼一切形成自然，她从山火喷薄与地壳碰撞的天然造石过程中汲取灵感，以陶土为媒，用矿釉施彩，模仿自然铄石之法将山川沟壑、森林海洋以及人造之物呈现在作品之中。艺术家早期作品中带有明显的自然主义倾向：模拟自然之法，表现自然之力，展现自然之美，山川、海洋、霞光、雨雾都是艺术家创作描绘的题材。而近年来，作品中出现的花纸、印模等工业人造物符号，则指向了人类工业文明和社会发展对自然图景的影响，这表明艺术家的创作观念正在发生变化：人是不是正如形色各异的石头，石上之纹或美或奇，皆为文化铄炼而成？


       展览共展出艺术家小草近年来创作的15件（组）作品，是对其独特的艺术语言体系和创作方法的阶段性总结。与一般意义上的绘画创作技法不同，本色粉淡的矿物釉料只有在1300℃的高温烧制后才能显现出丰富的色彩。釉烧是一种难控的工艺，这使得创作经验的探索与总结进程缓慢而艰难。艺术家需要通过大量的材料试验，才能记录、熟知每一种釉料在施釉和烧制前后的颜色、质感特性。艺术家坚信每一种釉彩都有各自的性格，犹如云水山石及生物万象，她将试验过程产出的釉彩试片作为创作参考的“色卡”。看似随意流淌的图像之后，是高度理性的生产方法和反复实践练就的精巧控制力。正是在这成百上千的“试片”中，艺术家逐步形成了自己特有的语言体系。

Welcome to the exhibition titled "Melting Stones," derived from the line "十日代出，流金铄石" in the "楚辞" describing the natural power of melting gold and stone during ten suns of revolving. Countless eons ago, the land beneath our feet was forged through the fusion of earth's fire, molding molten magma, and then shaped and sculpted by the force of flowing water, resulting in Nanjing's unique Yuhua stones. The featured artist, Xiaocao, is deeply involved in ceramic art and is a native of Nanjing. She often describes ceramic creation as the process of fusing and solidifying mountains, stones, and soil with human will, much like a creator refining nature in the crucible of the cosmos. Drawing inspiration from the natural process of volcanic eruptions and tectonic collisions, Xiaocao employs clay as her medium and uses mineral glazes to imitate the natural art of "melting stones," portraying landscapes of mountains, rivers, valleys, forests, oceans, and human-made objects in her works.

In her early works, Xiaocao exhibited a clear inclination towards naturalism, simulating the laws of nature, showcasing its power and beauty. Mountains, oceans, dappled lights, and mists were all subjects that she skillfully depicted. However, in recent years, symbols of human-made objects like floral patterns and imprints began to appear in her works, hinting at the influence of human industrial civilization on natural landscapes. This indicates a shift in the artist's creative concept: are humans like the variously shaped stones, their patterns or beauty formed through societal forging?

The exhibition presents a collection of 15 pieces of art, created by Xiaocao in recent years, serving as a comprehensive summary of her unique artistic language and creative approach. Diverging from conventional painting techniques, the subtle and pale mineral glazes only reveal their vibrant colors after firing at a high temperature of 1300°C. The glaze firing process is challenging to control, making the exploration and synthesis of creative experiences slow and arduous. Xiaocao needs to conduct numerous material experiments to document and familiarize herself with the colors and texture characteristics of each glaze before and after glazing and firing. She firmly believes that each glaze possesses its distinct character, much like the diverse forms of clouds, water, mountains, stones, and all living beings. The glaze samples resulting from her experimentation serve as a reference "color card" for her creative process. Behind the seemingly free-flowing imagery lies a highly rational production method and meticulously honed control. It is within these hundreds and thousands of "test pieces" that Xiaocao gradually forms her own unique language system.