Brendan Lee Satish Tang

Ceramicist | Vancouver, Canada

A collision of cultures in clay

Brendan’s multi-ethnic background inspires his practice
His Manga Ormolu series combines Chinese-inspired vessels with manga and sci-fi machinery
He encourages students to balance material expertise and conceptual inquiry

Brendan Lee Satish Tang is a Trinidadian-Chinese-Irish-Canadian ceramic artist. His research-driven practice in ceramic sculptures studies hybridity, technology and the plurality of cultural identity. Brendan is best known for his long-running Manga Ormolu series, in which he fuses blue and white vessel forms referencing Chinese dynasties with robotic, manga-inspired ornament, all modelled in clay. Now based in Vancouver and teaching at Emily Carr University, he puts his technical virtuosity to the service of storytelling about migration, memory and the tempo of technological change.

Interview

©Suzanne Ward

When did you decide that ceramics would be your primary medium?: After seeing a high school tile mural and taking an apprenticeship with studio potter Vic de Fouw, I realised I was drawn to the physicality of clay. I liked how responsive it is to gesture, and that it allowed me to bring imagined forms into real space rather than an illusionistic painted surface.
What defines your Manga Ormolu series?: My series is about technology, history and transformation. Historically, ormolu was a European gilding technique added to imported Chinese porcelains. I replaced that Rococo filigree with manga and sci-fi-inspired robotic structures, all in clay, on blue and white vessels to echo Chinese dynasties.
Where does your multilayered family history surface in your work?: My family history encompasses India, Trinidad, China, Ireland and Canada. It is why I am interested in hybridity and mixed identities. By using multiple visual languages, Chinese porcelain, European decorative history and Japanese pop culture included, I aim to reflect contemporary Canadian culture.
How do you see your role as a teacher?: I have experienced both apprenticeship and academic training and I see real value in each. Clay is a demanding material, and skills matter, but they become most powerful when students use them to articulate ideas, process their experiences and navigate a rapidly changing world saturated in technology.

Brendan Lee Satish Tang is a master artisan: he began his career in 1999 and he started teaching in 2006