Millefiori Ceramics is a ceramic technique invented by Tsai Erh Ping. This technique is inspired by the millefiori glasswork, a mosaic glass first produced in Murano, Italy, in the 15th century. The term millefiori is a combination of Italian words “mille” (thousand) and “fiori“ (flowers).
According to Tsai, this inspiration began more than twenty years ago. At that time, he once traveled to the Yellow Stone National Park. Standing in front of the rugged hills and thundering waterfall, Tsai was amazed by the exposed rock layers. For him, these multicolored rocks were like murals, highligting the primitive beauty of the nature. Since then,Tsai began his quest for the essence of beauty and a return to the origin in terms of idea and material. His realization can be summed up as the following: pottery is the result of the interaction among metal, wood, water, fire, and clay; a similar process also gives birth to earth ;examine the parallel between the two will lead one on a new path of creation.
Later, Tsai also gained inspiration from museums. In the Metropolitan Museum he saw how emperors in ancient Egypt took ceramic artifacts as personal decoration. In the Corning Glass Museum he experienced the beauty of antique glass beads. Such experiences led Tsai to the study of millefiori technique and the application of such technique in the production of ceramics. Also,the primitive ye pure glass beads influenced Tsai in his management of colors.
The millefiori ceramics is the fruit of such effort to innovate the production of ceramics. The colorful and splendid design characteristic of millefiori ceramics makes Tsai's "Insect Series" much more vivid and appealing.
Erh-Ping Tsai was born in Bai-Kong, Taiwan. He went to New York to study at Parsons School of Design and received his master’s degree at the age of 33.Since 1992,he has received many plaudits and awards for his elaborate work.Today, there are countless museums and renowned galleries that carry his work, attracting his devoted fan base. At home, Erh-Ping has managed to combine his family’s living space with the great outdoors. He uses his knowledge of exotic plants and his creativity to design plants as works of art at his Long Island houses. His wondrous green home has attracted the attention and awe of many and has been showcased by numerous home and landscape magazines.
Erh-Ping’s imagination was inspired by his hometown, with the exquisiteness of local temples, and surrounding ancient ceramic art. He was also influenced by Egyptian and primitive African art. He has been able to achieve his uniqueness of creation through the millefiori techniques that he has perfected. Using his metal smith skills and intricate glass beading, he extends the distinctiveness of his animal creatures to a higher level. His creations are both whimsical and humorous, and truly a combination of his so called “ABC’s”: Artistry, Beauty, and Creativity. To Erh-Ping, nature is the human’s way of communicating feeling and emotions, and is the universal language of the senses. No matter how much he is influenced by Western Culture, he is still true to his innate Eastern roots and this is reflected in his work. Erh-Ping sees the complex beauty in the littlest elements of nature, and to him every tiny living component in life is worth glamorizing and appreciating.
