“. . . a blend of old and new ideas.”
For years, Vipoo Srivilasa has created blue and white ceramics, only to veer away from the palette during lockdown. Now, for an exhibition at Bunjil Place Gallery titled Generation Clay: Reimagining Asian Heritage, he embraces the aesthetic once again, with other artists in tow.
Bangkok-born Srivilasa, who has lived and practised in Melbourne for decades, works mostly with porcelain – and is known as a leader in the field – focusing on queerness, migration, spirituality and (on an emotional level) struggle and hope. His recurrent use of blue and white have made his ceramics distinctive in contemporary art, with decorative, playful pieces possessing a delicate depth and visual appeal.
“I tried experimenting with other colours but found myself drawn back to this classic scheme,” he says. Now, in Generation Clay, a cohort of Asian-Australian artists join him to work within the parameters of blue and white clay to reflect on its complex legacy, especially linked to Islamic and Chinese ware.
“These colours have a long history and help create a strong, cohesive show,” Srivilasa comments, adding that it was also a practical choice: “My experience helps me understand the skills and challenges artists face, so I can present their work accurately. I also provide technical support.”

Image 1: Mai Nguyễn-Long, Blue and white: Vomit Girl with Dobakapi, 2024; Image 2: Zhu Ohmu, Blue line of mountains, 2024; Image 3: Monica Rani Rudhar, Imitation earrings, 2024; Image 4: Jayanto Tan, fairy tales from the celestial garden, 2024. Courtesy the artists
For the exhibition, Srivilasa started with a list of artists he knew, then found over 200 more through a social media call out, which he whittled down to fourteen, sharing that “My wide network in ceramics helps me find new artists and connect with those from many different backgrounds.”
As curator, he asked the artists to re-imagine cultural expectations and reflect on their histories while presenting fresh perspectives. He nodded to the difficulty of creating new work, especially for a specific theme, with gratitude for Bunjil Place’s generous artist fee: “This allows artists to explore, experiment and devote time and thought to creating new work.”
Outside the art itself, blue and white also unify the show’s design. Furthering form and motif, its plinths and walls are blue, immersing the installation of the artworks in the theme while they embody it. With exhibition designer Kelwin Wong, Srivilasa shared that they also lowered stands so young visitors and wheelchair users could view artwork at eye level. “This allows everyone to fully experience and connect with the ceramics,” he said.
Srivilasa, known to link interactive elements into his projects, added that he wanted the public to engage beyond viewing. The exhibition’s search for personal and cultural exchange extends into its central “Bloom Room,” a space for hands-on participation. Here audiences can join activities like zine making, a tea ceremony and an artist market – all celebrating cultural connection, self-exploration and the evolution of aesthetics inherent to the exhibition.
“Blue and white ceramics are a great way to show the mix of tradition and change,” says the artist. “This colour scheme has a long history of moving between cultures, representing a blend of old and new ideas.” It’s a theme, though homogenous in its parameters, that presents a vast push and pull: of versatility and uniformity, definition and elasticity, new and the established, history and future. On this, Srivilasa adds, “People often have a set idea of what blue and white ceramics look like, but this show aims to change that. It will offer a new and varied view.”
Tahney Fosdike is a writer from the Murraylands, South Australia, now living in Paris.
Bunjil Place Gallery
3 August to 24 November 2024
Melbourne
Originally published in print – Art Almanac, October 2024 issue, pp. 26–28