SNC and TNNUA: Kerrigan Leijon

Refueling

The opportunity to travel to Taiwan is something I will bring with me for the rest of my life, and I will excel into the future because I feel as though this was a refueling for myself that was well needed. I am very grateful for this gift and I am grateful for all the people that contributed to making the trip as great as it was, I can’t wait to go back to Taiwan!

At the end of this past semester I felt as though something was missing in my studies, and I was in a rut when trying to think creatively about business opportunities. I found myself getting burnt out by some of my classes or disagreeing with business strategies and ethics. I knew I needed to do something different to put my mind in the right spot to finish out my senior year but I never thought I would end up in an art program at Tainan National University of the Arts. As an International Studies/ Global Management major I was required to do a study abroad program but I was not sure if the trip to Taiwan was appropriate for my field of studies and I was a little worried about going to study the arts since I am not an art major. My instincts told me that I needed to go and fortunately I was able to join the group on a trip that I will never forget.

As soon as we got to TNNUA I knew I had made the right decision and I made an effort to be a sponge and soak in everything. I was immediately drawn to the people and was fortunate to have made some amazing friends that showed me into their culture of twonderful foods, vibrant language, and beautiful artwork. We wouldn’t have made it very far if it was not for these students and I still talk to them a few times a week. The highlight of my trip was at the end of the first week when Maddy and I were invited to hang out with the Taiwanese students at a place called Miga. The students have collaborated to restore the building that was once an old rice factory, and although some would say it isn’t much it had such a warm inviting energy and I could feel how much love and effort went into maintaining and repairing the building. It was great to see how they spend their time together enjoying the company of good friends, sharing delicious meals and usually a few beers, and allowing yourself to slow down and unwind from the stresses of the world. Although it was all new people I felt like I had known them for a long time. We barbequed, we rode scooters, and even celebrated Mouchi’s birthday with an evening of fireworks. Through the differences I found many similarities but I have never felt so in place and welcomed in a completely new environment. Just watching everyday functions in the rural countryside of Tainan as well as in large cities like Taipei made me more conscious of my lifestyle in the U.S. and more aware of what is really needed and what is important to me.We had the opportunity to learn from some amazingly talented and driven individuals. I found it very interesting how many of their political and social views aligned with mine and how I could relate so many of the lessons learned in Taiwan to my areas of focus back at SNC. I really enjoyed the lectures that we had and it began to make more sense to me why I was on the trip after listening to Rick Parsons, Ching-Yuan (Head of Master's Program), Hsu Yunghsu (Ceramic Artist and TNNUA MFA Grad), and Po-Ching's (Head of Undergraduate Program) slide talks.

During Rick’s talk I was amazed at the level of political metaphors used in his artwork and how duality has worked to create a blind reality amongst society. I really agreed with his thoughts about the current state of the union, and how we are so bound to convenience, consumerism and a quick fix to everything without really weighing the benefits and burdens of implementing policies that allow for these things to happen. In the large cities I saw connections to the ways of life here in the U.S. that may need to be changed for future growth. Ching-Yuan really spoke to me, both in the lecture and in the studio setting. I remember him saying that sometimes we become filled with anxiety because we do not know what to do but we know that we have to do it. That was exactly how I felt going into this trip, I knew I needed to do something different, and this trip truly allowed me to release myself and look at my future from a different angle than the one I had previously been living on. I found that I was able to fill these voids in my education with creation and every time I went into the studio I was able to break away from rules and just express my feelings through communication with the clay body.
The time we spent in the studio was also a great therapeutic release for me that allowed me to think less but create something based on a communication between myself and another material. The last thing that really changed my perspective of the ceramic world was the level of talent at TNNUA both in the past and now. Participating in a wood firing that took two weeks to complete was an intense but very spiritual time for me, and it was rewarding to see our pieces after so much work had been put into the process. Getting the opportunity to visit Hsu Yunghsu’s warehouse was a once in a lifetime experience as well. His life story is pretty compelling coming from nothing and making a way for himself out of sheer will and a never-ending drive. His ability to push the limits of himself both mentally and physically while breaking through the limits of clay materials to create pieces that nearly defy gravity was extremely inspiring. I watched his demeanor and his passion very closely and I will strive to bring that amount of passion into what ever it is I pursue in life.