Meet rose gong monier

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Rose Gong monier. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Rose, thrilled to have you on the platform as I think our readers can really benefit from your insights and experiences. In particular, we’d love to hear about how you think about burnout, avoiding or overcoming burnout, etc.

Burnout is a very real problem in the creative process. The stress and tiredness associated with burnout doesn’t follow any set pattern or timeline. The goal is always to overcome, and to resume the creative process.
As a creative, my goal is to produce work with my hands, head and heart simultaneously. With the hope that the work clearly represents the intention.
I treat my artmaking like a job. I go to work on a set schedule 4 days a week. Although my hours are those of a part-timer, I am committed to going to work in the studio. My recent bout of burnout was thankfully short lived. I found myself lethargic and working aimlessly. With this burnout I shortened my daily hours but continued to go in the 4 days. I took the time to review and evaluate some of my 2d sketches, rejecting what was no longer worthy of putting into 3d pieces. I also started an unrelated art project. This project wasn’t as challenging as my artmaking but kept my hands and head busy. This freeing of my hyper focused artmaking allowed me to take a really big step back, breathe and reassess what was working and consider how to move forward.
The recent calls for art served to validate some already existing work as well as inspire new work. Although burnout can be frustrating, it can also serve as a respite and vacation from the daily grind of my artmaking job.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I was born in the Year of the Snake to Chinese immigrants fleeing the Communist takeover of China. As a second-generation immigrant I always found myself between two worlds, the obedient 2nd daughter to an ancient culture or the rebellious and forgotten middle child in the new world of America, where anything was a possibility.
Of all the historical ceramics I have been exposed to I am most drawn to and influenced by the pottery of Asia. The making of my art is a merging of my Chinese heritage with the contemporary aesthetics of the Western world.
The snake is both my Chinese Zodiac sign and my spirit animal. The snake image can represent many different things but it is this symbol of rebirth that I most connect with. The flowing serpentine line is incredibly sensual. And the patterning possibilities within the snake is an endless source of inspiration to me. This body of work represents to me a reimagining of Asian historic sensibilities in a contemporary context with the graphic boldness of both the neolithic and modern eras.
I find the physical working with clay to be incredibly appealing. There exists very little between me and the clay when forming the pot. The hands-on process of kneading, pounding and shaping the clay into a recognizable shape is quite intimate. This tactile link of in making plates grounds me when it’s time to articulate the piece. The clay canvas has 3 dimensions, occupying space with surfaces and curves to be considered and edges defined. The form starts out blank, but responds to being embellished, accenting positive and negative spaces.
The work is composite of my nature, nurturing and western influences. A reflection of heritage and contemporary culture

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

My advice for those in the early days of their journey is to understand the historical context of their work. Ask the question how the world arrived at this place of creative style and artistic sensibilities. Identify what inspires and motivates the work. Know why you are doing what you do. How have you improved upon or furthered the cause. We don’t live in a vacuum. Who came before you? Whose shoulders did you stand on before standing alone? Did you add to this story, this song of art?
Mistakes are lessons to learn from. Seek feedback and guidance. Maybe get a mentor. It is important to be able to be analytical about our work. Stand back from your heartfelt and handwrought creations. Be objective. Can your work stand alone or does it require explanation and defending? A mentor can provide thoughtful and considered dialogue.
The GOATS of this world got to the greatest of all time status with practice, lots of practice. Prodigies are rare but perseverance furthers the cause. Do what you love and do it a lot.

What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?

I returned to making pots several years ago after a long career as a designer of home products and lifestyle inspired interiors for private clients. The initial progress in my return to artmaking was slow with many baby steps. Working without direction or a brief was initially fearful. Without a project or goal, I was alone with nowhere to go.
Inspiration struck when least expected and I pursued a path that became less about the form and more about the image. With support and encouragement my ceramic pieces became canvases.
Last year I participated in a Thoughtful Review of my art. Sponsored by the Palm Beach Cultural Council in Florida, this in-depth discussion and analysis of my art provided validation for my current body of work and encouragement to continue my artmaking. This validation from both peers and art professionals has unleashed an enthusiasm for expression. I proceeded to make more. With self confidence in hand, I started applying to calls for art and was accepted into 5 juried exhibits in the first 4 months of the year!
To date, the sale of my art has been to other artists. Acclaimed established artists! What an achievement!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.artistsofpalmbeachcounty.org/rosegongmonier
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosegongmonier/