Customized Work

Material Thinking, Felt Form

Each customized work is not a predetermined object, but a shared process—one shaped by material behavior, bodily perception, and time. Rather than executing a fixed design, the work emerges through negotiation with clay, gravity, pressure, light, and transformation. What results is not a replica, but a singular form that carries presence, memory, and atmosphere.

Production cycle: approximately 2 months.

What “Custom” Means Here

Customization in this practice does not begin with an image, sketch, or final outcome. It begins with listening.

A customized work is:

  • A collaborative inquiry rather than a commissioned product

  • Guided by material logic, not imposed design

  • Open to uncertainty, slippage, and emergence

The work is not designed in advance—it is allowed to arrive.

How the Process Unfolds

1. Initial Conversation

Each collaboration begins with a conversation focused on sensing rather than specification. Instead of a brief, we explore atmosphere, spatial presence, emotional tone, memory, and perception. This stage establishes alignment, not form.

2. Material Exploration

Clay is approached as a responsive presence. Through pressing, stretching, carving, and allowing collapse, form begins to emerge as movement rather than image. Decisions are guided by gravity, moisture, pressure, and time.

3. Firing & Transformation

High-fire conditions introduce risk and transformation. Slumping, warping, and pooled glaze are not corrected but embraced. The kiln functions as an active collaborator, allowing the work to shift beyond intention.

4. Completion & Release

A work is considered complete when it sustains a heightened state of presence—when material and form feel alive. Completion is not resolution of meaning, but the moment the work can stand on its own.

Timeline & Commitment

The estimated production cycle is approximately two months, allowing time for material exploration, drying, firing, and natural pauses required by ceramic processes. The work proceeds at the pace necessary for transformation to occur.

Who This Is For

This process may be right for you if:

  • You value presence over control

  • You are drawn to atmosphere rather than narrative

  • You are open to transformation and material uncertainty

This process may not be suitable if:

  • You require exact outcomes in advance

  • You prioritize function or replication

  • You seek speed over process

Begin a Conversation

If this approach resonates with you, you are invited to reach out.

Each customized work begins with listening.

Contact TONG