Invisible Wound
2023.7
This is a ceramic sculpture project by my student Wang Jilin, centered on the theme of psychological disorders. Jilin is an exceptionally talented and sensitive student. She earned her undergraduate degree in ceramic techniques from the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute and has since graduated from the RCA with a Master’s in Ceramics. This project was the very first one we worked on together after we met.
When I first got to know Jilin and reviewed her existing body of work, I noticed that she possessed highly professional ceramic skills, yet her pieces tended to be created within relatively short time frames. I wanted to tap into the deeper sensitivities of this introverted artist. At the outset of the project, we initiated an in‑depth conversation starting with the question: "Is there anything happening in your life right now that is causing you significant stress?" We spent a total of about four hours over two sessions communicating. She told me that the most difficult issue at the time was that her grandmother—who had raised her since childhood—had recently developed hoarding disorder. Over the years, her grandmother had filled their home with discarded items she had collected, to the point where the house was nearly impassable. What made matters worse was that her grandmother's children, including Jilin's uncle, were desperately throwing away the hoarded objects without engaging in any real conversation with the elderly woman to address the deeper underlying problems.
In this project, I encouraged Jilin to adopt a more scientific and neutral approach in interviewing her grandmother, in order to gain a deeper understanding of the root causes of her hoarding behavior. However, within the first month of the project, the process began to spiral somewhat out of control. Initially, Jilin recorded the first interview on video, during which she directly asked her grandmother about her reasons for hoarding and her thoughts on the matter. In that first session, the grandmother was evasive, responding only with yes/no answers and statements about what "should" or "should not" be done. But that interview had unintended consequences: the elders in the family, without consulting everyone, cleared out the grandmother's room on a fixed date—an act that inflicted significant psychological harm on the elderly woman. Jilin then tried to mediate and communicate with the family, allowing her grandmother to gradually rebuild her own safe sanctuary.
In the second interview, her grandmother began to recall when exactly her hoarding behavior had started. The process was extremely difficult, as she was unable to directly confront her deepest psychological wounds—even with her granddaughter's gentle, step‑by‑step probing. Throughout the interviews, we consulted relevant literature on hoarding disorder after each session and adjusted our approach accordingly. We hoped to gently gather information while also allowing the grandmother to feel more cared for and understood by her family through this process.
In her ceramic works, Jilin vividly expressed the emotions associated with hoarding disorder—violence, conflict, depression, and expansion. I consider this a meaningful project. However, given more time and resources, I believe we should have collaborated with a professional team of neuroscientists and psychologists to further advance this research.
