Boris Roce is a Croatian artist, a member of the Croatian Art Union. He has held 55 solo exhibitions and more than 550 group exhibitions over the years, and has participated in 58 Raku forums and received many awards including 18 international awards and 7 national awards.

In the glass showcase of the Changchun International Ceramics Gallery, Boris Roce's ceramic work Meditation captures time with its silent posture. This dark brown ceramic sculpture is like a mysterious totem emerging from the depths of the earth's core, exuding a primitive vitality under the cold light of the modern ceramic exhibition hall. When viewers stop and gaze at it, the Croatian artist's profound understanding of the art of meditation is told through those interlaced cracks and mottled glaze colors in the unique language of clay.

I. The Dialogue between Matter and Spirit

Boris Roce adopted traditional Croatian ceramic art techniques for Meditation. The mixed local red clay and volcanic ash were baked at 1300°C in the kiln to create a unique dark brown texture. This texture, similar to that of basalt, not only retains the rough authenticity of the clay but also forms a metallic luster at high temperatures. The surface of the work is covered with irregular depressions and protrusions like ancient rock blocks eroded by time.

This technique of minimalist expression resonates with the "wabi-sabi" aesthetics in Zen Buddhism. Boris Roche capitalizes on the natural shrinkage of clay and the kiln transformation to deliberately preserve imperfections that arise during the firing process, elevating these flaws into a unique artistic language.Those seemingly random cracks are real witnesses to the dialogue between fire and clay. They imply the natural flow and internal breakthrough of the mind during the meditation process.

II. The Energy Field in Silence

When viewers walk around Meditation, they will find that every texture on its surface presents rich layers under different lights. There are faint traces of kiln-transformed dark red in the dark brown tone just like the last surges of magma before it solidifies. This visual dynamic sense forms a subtle tension with the overall stillness of the work, metaphorically representing the spiritual state of "motion within stillness" in meditation.

Roce wrote in his notes, "True meditation is not about stopping thinking but about letting the mind flow freely like a river." The depressions on the surface of the work accumulate shadows like the deep folds of the mind while the protruding parts reflect the light and symbolize the moment of awakening of consciousness. This visual effect of interwoven light and shadow guides viewers into a state of concentration which is similar to meditation while they are gazing.

III. Enlightenment: The Spiritual Ceramic Art for Modern People

In the hustle and bustle of the digital age, the existence of Meditation is a form of resistance. Roce reminds us through his work that the plasticity of clay is essentially akin to the spirituality of meditation. Both demand patience, concentration and a willingness to embrace imperfections. When we touch the clay with our fingertips, we can feel not only the temperature of the material but also the possibility of self-transformation.

This dark brown ceramic sculpture is like a materialized meditation space. It teaches us how to transform our daily behaviors into practices in a fast-paced life. We can also cultivate mindfulness during our commute and work just as a ceramist needs to maintain a breathing rhythm when he throws pottery on the wheel. We need to accept the time-tested moments in our lives and turn them into nutrients for growth just as the the clay goes through the kiln fire.

When we stand in front of Meditation, the sound of the waves on the Croatian coastline seems to come through time and space. The thousand-year-old wisdom of meditation has been solidified with clay. Yet it shines a new light in the present era of digital civilization. This seemingly silent work is a key that unlocks the spiritual door for modern people to return to their inner selves. When we learn to accept imperfections like clay and embrace the tests like the kiln fire, perhaps we can find our own eternal peace in the noisy world.