Published: 23/06/2025
BAFA Graduate Exhibition 2025 – Artist Interview: Tang Tsz Wai Cheri
Imagine a world where call bells sing and clay hums with hidden melodies. For BAFA graduate Tang Tsz Wai Cheri, this is not fantasy but her artistic reality.
Inspired by childhood memories of metallic playground echoes, Cheri transforms ordinary ceramics and found objects into enchanting sound installations. Her work invites us to slow down, listen closely, and discover the unexpected music hidden in the materials around us.
- Your work explores sound through ceramics and found industrial objects. How did you first become interested in the relationship between materiality and acoustics?
My fascination began in the neighbourhood playground, where I discovered that every material sang its own song. I lingered around play structures made of metals, plastics and rubber, amazed at how a slide’s tone changed with a tap or how swing chains whispered with the wind.
Those early encounters revealed the acoustic potential hidden in a material’s density, texture and form. Today, when I work with ceramics, I recall those playful moments—as the transformative nature of clay and the subtleties of firing echo childhood symphonies.
2. Can you describe your process of transforming everyday objects into resonant sound bodies? How do you select and experiment with materials?
Working with ceramics, a fragile yet transformable medium, imposes unique constraints on an interdisciplinary approach. In my graduate projects, I began by re-purposing call bells: instead of maintaining their original function, I replaced their metal components with hand-shaped ceramic resonators that amplify subtle vibrations and tonal nuances. The call bell provides a defined boundary for the scale of the ceramics, allowing for a focused exploration of tonal variation within the constraints of its inherent timbre. I also explore different clay ratios, as each type contributes its own density, texture, and firing characteristics to create distinct sound signatures.
By incorporating solenoids and kinetic elements, I synchronise multiple bells to merge mechanical rhythms with the organic timbre of ceramics into a dynamic, layered soundscape.
Ultimately, my goal is to reveal the hidden acoustic layers in everyday objects, transforming them into instruments for reflective listening.
3. Your installations engage multiple senses—touch, hearing, and spatial awareness. How do you hope viewers experience your work?
I hope viewers experience synesthesia, where listening allows them to feel the sound’s physicality. When you hear the ceramic vibrations, I hope you can sense the texture of the surface it came from, imagine the shape that shaped it. The sound becomes a bridge between material and perception. The surrounding space also plays a role, bending and amplifying these material voices.
4. Ceramics is often seen as a static medium, but your work gives it a dynamic, almost performative quality. How do you challenge traditional perceptions of ceramics in your practice?
Ceramics isn’t static—it moves with us daily through bowls, cups and instruments, turning everyday interactions into performative gestures. In my practice, wheel throwing becomes an intimate acquaintance with each type of clay: porcelain reveals its graceful elegance, black stoneware its smooth resistance, and coarse grog stoneware its rugged vitality. These tactile conversations transform into dynamic, resonant mediums that invite re-imagined perceptions.
5. Sound plays a crucial role in your installations. Do you compose or manipulate the sounds intentionally, or do you let the materials ’speak’ for themselves? What role does “deep listening” play in your work, and how do you encourage audiences to engage with it?
I first let the material ’speak’ for itself. The process of making ceramics means I never truly know its sound until the forms are fired. Once they take shape, I arrange them in an organi sed order and play them in sequence, creating a natural composition. Later, I build on this by adding programmed sequences, allowing me to explore the variations in sound and how they shift within the structure.
Deep listening encourages viewers to engage with ceramics beyond just hearing its sound, expanding their perception. It invites them to perceive its different texture affected by the ratio of clay and presence through resonance, connecting these auditory sensations to past experiences. The subtle tones and vibrations may bring to mind memories of music or familiar sounds, creating an unexpected link between ceramic objects and personal auditory history.
This experience transforms passive observation into an active engagement, inviting audiences to attune to the material’s subtle, resonant voice.
6. What initially drew you to study fine art at HKAS? Was this always your plan, or did you discover your passion for art later?
Attending HKAS to study fine art wasn’t part of my original plan. I had paused my studies, as I was involved in a field that didn’t spark any passion in me. Thankfully, my parents encouraged me to pursue something I truly cared about. Although I had no previous experience with ceramics when I joined HKAS, I’ve always appreciated art in its many forms.
7. Before joining HKAS, did you have any formal art training? How did the programme help you develop your skills?
My grandfather had a strong background in classical music, so I was always surrounded by its influence. Although I never received formal music training, I enjoy writing and singing songs, even if I don’t read sheet music. I also attended a performing arts high school in Canada, where I majored in contemporary dance. That experience deepened my understanding of movement, rhythm and expression, fundamentally shaping the way I perceive and engage with art.
8. Studying art can be intense. How did you balance personal life, work (if applicable), and your degree?
Studying art has been a transformative journey of self-discovery, offering new ways to engage with the world even in a society that often prioritises practicality. I’m grateful for my supportive family, who encouraged me to pursue my passion despite art sometimes being seen as less essential. Majoring in ceramics demanded deep dedication—as a labour-intensive process, I spent most days in the studio, often limiting my work to just a couple of days each week.
Thankfully, the close bonds with my ceramics classmates made the heavy workload feel less isolating. Now, having completed my course, I continue to learn how to balance personal life, work and creative time as I evolve my practice.
9. What was the most valuable lesson you learned at HKAS—whether from a teacher, a project, or a mistake?
At HKAS, my teachers emphasised the importance of integrity in the creative process—committing fully to each project, even when it leads to unexpected outcomes because every step refines both the work and the artist. They taught me that authentic expression comes from self-awareness, trusting your own instincts, and allowing your own perspective to guide the work. Through persistence, ideas take form; through consistency, the work evolves. This mindset – valuing process as much as result – continues to define my practice today.
10. Looking back, is there anything you’d do differently in your artistic journey so far?
Looking back, I wish I had more decisively pursued experimentation and been more open at certain points in my journey. During my studies, I often stuck to familiar methods, relying on what I knew rather than exploring new possibilities. I now realise that embracing change earlier could have led to broader perspectives before narrowing my focus.
Beauty and rhythm are everywhere, You just have to be mindful. Stay tuned for her captivating sound sculptures at the BAFA Grad Show, where you can experience art that you can hear and feel in an entirely new way.
