• Leo makes lifelike flower sculptures from porcelain
• He works on voluminous and complex compositions, such as the peony
• The ancient technique of clay marbling is central to his practice

In Leo Wong’s handcrafted porcelain flowers, each petal is delicately intentional. The sculptures reflect his background in landscape design and the therapeutic qualities of gardens, where forms shape emotional experience. His first object was a cherry blossom sculpture inspired by the tree in his grandparents’ country house. “It took me nearly two years to refine the fragile petals and gently swaying branches, to feel that I had captured its structure and spirit,” says Leo. The artist works with ultra-thin porcelain, pushing the medium to the limits of its fragility to craft the highly detailed florals, before firing at very high temperatures. “At this point of thinness, the porcelain becomes almost liquid in character. It is always on the verge of slumping, so each piece becomes a careful negotiation with gravity and precise kiln control,” he explains. To grant vivid colours to his works, Leo marbles his clay, mixing pigments directly into it to create natural gradations and patterns within each petal, which is considered to be highly technical.