Cover Story: Generation

Decorated stoneware bowl by Wayne Ngan, surrounded by some of his objects, 2021. Photographer: Goya Ngan. COURTESY OF GOYA NGAN.

My father, Wayne Ngan (1937-2020), used this bowl to hold objects like the ones in this photograph. One of my tasks in documenting his work was to record what was found in each bowl or location as clues to relational information. In piles, it was difficult to discern the contents of each bowl, so I took the objects out and photographed them surrounding the bowl against background paper. — Goya Ngan

Centre: Decorated stoneware bowl by Wayne Ngan.

Surrounding objects, using clock positions:

1. Dried young persimmon

2. Cast bronze medallion by Wayne Ngan

3. Rock shop find

4. Raku glaze test by Wayne Ngan

5. Stone artifact

6. Raku maquette of a figure by Wayne Ngan

7. Rock shop find

8. Plaster maquette of an upside-down hawk by Wayne Ngan

9. Crystal

10. Japanese sword handguard (Tsuba)

11. Shark tooth

12. Stoneware glaze test by Wayne Ngan