This exhibition is about flow, the state where attention narrows so completely that time warps and everything else fades, and the path it opens into creating subtle and intentional design decisions that define the feel of a piece. It is a privilege to stay in this state of focus, to willingly give it time in exchange for staying curious and playful. Repeating a form helps me better understand the concept and lets small details find their way in. As they are refined, changes in forms, cross sections, and positioning in the kiln all change the pieces. These works are presented as steps along a path, each revealing subtle changes and the intentions behind them.

These pieces were fired in wood-burning kilns at Cobb Mountain over days of continuous fire-tending. Members of the community take shifts around the clock, feeding the fire and closely watching the kiln’s behavior. The clay surfaces have no applied glaze. Wood ash is carried by the flame, melting onto the surface—a natural finish formed only by the firing itself. For all the care that goes into shaping each piece, loss is also part of the process, and some works do not survive. What remains carries the record of that collaboration: marks of flame and ash.

Bio

Tyler Zheng is a ceramic artist based in San Francisco, working out of his studio in the Castro. With a background in mechanical engineering, he first came to clay while designing planters for a cactus collection, bringing a problem-solving sensibility to functional pottery. The designs found an immediate audience, selling out with every online shop update, and eventually led him to a deeper practice in functional, wood-fired pottery. He learned ceramics through local instructors, including Andy Ruble at Foothill College, as well as workshops, and an intensive program in Jingdezhen, China to learn traditional throwing methods. Inspired by the community at Cobb Mountain Art and Ecology Project, he has been firing there since 2020, drawn to the process, natural finishes and the sense of community.

Artist’s statement

My work begins with curiosity and play, often inspired by solving a small problem, whether it's real or fabricated, such as a cup holder for hilly Dolores park or an anti-gravity pour over stand. Ideas range from a landscape inspired bonsai vessel to small designs for daily use. The tension between functionality and simple forms keeps me playing and iterating.

I chose wood firing because its finishes remind me of the natural world. For example, the wood ash melting on the surface of each piece creates dimensionality through its natural ash glazing effect and by showing the motions of flame. Wood firing also takes some control away from the maker; many of my designs start in early failure, which is a humbling part of the wood firing process. I have learned to take solace in the errors that cause pieces to collapse and to make minute changes for the next firing. I am constantly searching to showcase the beautiful subtlety of the medium and to create pieces quiet enough to let the kiln finish their story through its embellishments of color, texture, and depth.

Bottle (No. 4)
7 × 4.5 × 2 in
SOLD — Bottle (No. 4) 7 × 4.5 × 2 in SOLD

Rice Jar
11 × 10 × 10 in
$2500 — Rice Jar 11 × 10 × 10 in $2500

Jar (No. 3)
8 × 10 × 10 in
$1400 — Jar (No. 3) 8 × 10 × 10 in $1400

Jar (No. 2)
9 × 9 × 6 in
$800 — Jar (No. 2) 9 × 9 × 6 in $800

Jar (No. 1)
6.5 × 5 × 5 in
SOLD — Jar (No. 1) 6.5 × 5 × 5 in SOLD

Bottle (No. 1)
10 × 6 × 2 in
$420 — Bottle (No. 1) 10 × 6 × 2 in $420

Bottle (No. 2)
10 × 6 × 2 in
$420 — Bottle (No. 2) 10 × 6 × 2 in $420

Bottle (No. 3)
12 × 6.5 × 2 in
$420 — Bottle (No. 3) 12 × 6.5 × 2 in $420

H Bottle (No. 1)
6.5 × 6.5 × 6.5 in
SOLD — H Bottle (No. 1) 6.5 × 6.5 × 6.5 in SOLD

H Bottle (No. 2)
6.5 × 5 × 4.5 in
SOLD — H Bottle (No. 2) 6.5 × 5 × 4.5 in SOLD

H bottle (No. 4)
10 × 5 × 5 in
SOLD — H bottle (No. 4) 10 × 5 × 5 in SOLD

Bottle (No. 1)
11 × 11 × 10 in
$1050 — Bottle (No. 1) 11 × 11 × 10 in $1050

H Bottle (No. 3)
6 × 6 × 5.5 in
SOLD — H Bottle (No. 3) 6 × 6 × 5.5 in SOLD

Bottle (No. 5)
8 × 11 × 10 in
SOLD — Bottle (No. 5) 8 × 11 × 10 in SOLD

Wide Bowl (No. 5)
6 × 10 × 10 in
SOLD — Wide Bowl (No. 5) 6 × 10 × 10 in SOLD

Bottle (No. 4)
8 × 8 × 7 in
SOLD — Bottle (No. 4) 8 × 8 × 7 in SOLD

Bottle (No. 2)
7 × 6 × 6 in
SOLD — Bottle (No. 2) 7 × 6 × 6 in SOLD

Bottle (No. 3)
6 × 6 × 6 in
SOLD — Bottle (No. 3) 6 × 6 × 6 in SOLD

Cup(No. 11)
3.5 × 5 × 3.5 in
SOLD — Cup(No. 11) 3.5 × 5 × 3.5 in SOLD

Geometric Cup (No. 1)
4.5 × 4 × 4 in
SOLD — Geometric Cup (No. 1) 4.5 × 4 × 4 in SOLD

Cup (No. 1)
3.5 × 2.5 × 2.5 in
SOLD — Cup (No. 1) 3.5 × 2.5 × 2.5 in SOLD

Cup (No. 2)
2.5 × 4 × 5 in
SOLD — Cup (No. 2) 2.5 × 4 × 5 in SOLD

Cup (No. 4)
3.5 × 5 × 3.5 in
SOLD — Cup (No. 4) 3.5 × 5 × 3.5 in SOLD

Cup (No. 3)
3 × 3 × 4 in
SOLD — Cup (No. 3) 3 × 3 × 4 in SOLD

Cup (No. 5)
4 × 6 × 3.5 in
SOLD — Cup (No. 5) 4 × 6 × 3.5 in SOLD

Cup (No. 10)
3 × 3 × 2.5 in
$125 — Cup (No. 10) 3 × 3 × 2.5 in $125

Cup (No. 9)
3.5 × 3 × 3 in
SOLD — Cup (No. 9) 3.5 × 3 × 3 in SOLD

Pour Over (No. 1)
6 × 5 × 4 in
SOLD — Pour Over (No. 1) 6 × 5 × 4 in SOLD

Pour Over (No. 2)
6 × 5 × 4 in
SOLD — Pour Over (No. 2) 6 × 5 × 4 in SOLD

Geometric Cup (No. 2)
5 × 4 × 4 in
SOLD — Geometric Cup (No. 2) 5 × 4 × 4 in SOLD

Pour Over (No. 3)
4 × 5 × 4.5 in
SOLD — Pour Over (No. 3) 4 × 5 × 4.5 in SOLD

Wide Bowl (No. 6)
3 × 4 × 4 in
SOLD — Wide Bowl (No. 6) 3 × 4 × 4 in SOLD

Small Bowl (No. 8)
2.5 × 3 × 3 in
SOLD — Small Bowl (No. 8) 2.5 × 3 × 3 in SOLD

Soap dish (1 piece)
1 × 4 × 3 in
SOLD — Soap dish (1 piece) 1 × 4 × 3 in SOLD

Bowl (No. 1)
2 × 6 × 6 in
SOLD — Bowl (No. 1) 2 × 6 × 6 in SOLD

Bowl (No. 2)
3 × 6 × 6 in
SOLD — Bowl (No. 2) 3 × 6 × 6 in SOLD

Pillow (2 pieces)
2 × 4 × 2.5 in
SOLD — Pillow (2 pieces) 2 × 4 × 2.5 in SOLD

Mobius (No. 1)
4.5 × 9 × 9 in
SOLD — Mobius (No. 1) 4.5 × 9 × 9 in SOLD

Mobius Sculpture 3
3 × 3 × 1 in
$80 — Mobius Sculpture 3 3 × 3 × 1 in $80

Mobius (No. 2)
M
3 × 9 × 9 in
SOLD — Mobius (No. 2) M 3 × 9 × 9 in SOLD

Mobius (No. 3)
M
14 × 8 × 8 in
$550 — Mobius (No. 3) M 14 × 8 × 8 in $550

Spoon rest (No. 1)
1 × 5 × 5 in
SOLD — Spoon rest (No. 1) 1 × 5 × 5 in SOLD

Spoon rest (No. 2)
1 × 3 × 5 in
$80 — Spoon rest (No. 2) 1 × 3 × 5 in $80

Mobius (No. 4)
S
2 × 5 × 5 in
SOLD — Mobius (No. 4) S 2 × 5 × 5 in SOLD

Mobius (No. 5)
S
2 × 6 × 6 in
SOLD — Mobius (No. 5) S 2 × 6 × 6 in SOLD

Mobius Sculpture 1
14 × 8 × 3 in
SOLD — Mobius Sculpture 1 14 × 8 × 3 in SOLD

Mobius Sculpture 2
14 × 8 × 3 in
SOLD — Mobius Sculpture 2 14 × 8 × 3 in SOLD

Sconce
14 × 8 × 3 in
$450 — Sconce 14 × 8 × 3 in $450

Orchid vessel
23 × 12 × 8 in
$2200 — Orchid vessel 23 × 12 × 8 in $2200

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