Samuel Shih Hsuan-Yu

Samuel Hsuan-Yu Shih ( (Shih Hsuan-Yu)) (born 1974) is a Taiwanese artist, ceramist, sculptor , and curator. He is a member of the International Academy of Ceramics and a National Craftsman certified by the . He also serves as the artistic director of UNIT-9 Ceramics & Visual Arts Office.

Biography Shih was born in 1974 in Taipei, Taiwan.

At 22, he founded his own studio, UNIT-9 Ceramics & Visual Arts Office. In 1998, he worked at the Ceramics Studio at Santa Ana College in Santa Ana, California, United States.

In 2009 and 2011, Shih received awards at the Premio Faenza international ceramics biennale in Italy, including the Honour Award of the Presidency of the Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Republic and the Emilia-Romagna Legislative Assembly Award. In 2010, he was certified as a "" by the .

In 2012, he was commissioned by Twinings to create a commemorative artwork for the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee. The piece was presented at the celebration ceremony by David Campbell of the British Office in Taiwan.

In 2013, Shih was elected a member of the International Academy of Ceramics, an official partner of UNESCO’s cultural sector. In 2014, Shih participated in the International Academy of Ceramics (IAC) Annual Meeting held in Dublin, Ireland. His work, "Great Ambition"(御風瀚羽－鴻鵠之志), was selected as a Featured Artist and was exhibited at Dublin Castle during the meeting.

In 2016, he became the General Artistic Advisor for the Opera House and Concert Hall of the Straits Culture and Arts Center (SCAC) in Fuzhou, China, a project by PES Architects. As part of this project, he designed “China White” ceramic panels—including engraved and mosaic acoustic panels—that were custom-developed with acousticians to fit complex curved surfaces and ensure optimal sound quality.

In 2024, Shih served as the curator of the International Wood-fired Ceramic Art Expo (TRANOVA) at the Miaoli Ceramics Museum in Taiwan. The exhibition, titled *"TRANOVA: Inheritance and Innovation,"* emphasized the transmission of ceramic traditions and their contemporary transformation.

Artistic style Shih Hsuan-yu's works are characterized by intricate patterns, refined modeling, and a vibrant use of colors. His art frequently integrates metal and glass elements, with ceramics serving as the central medium.

His early works have been described as focused on observations of contemporary social phenomena, including mechanized perceptions of time, the rise of labeling and barcoding as a social order, consumerist religious fervor, and generational differences in the use of written symbols. These works often combined ready-made objects such as glass tubes, chains, weights, wires, wood, and clocks, with surfaces inscribed with text, numbers, or barcodes.

Later commentators have noted that this strategy created works which simultaneously conveyed declarative meaning while destabilizing habitual interpretations, producing a sense of dissonance and self-reflection in the viewer.

In *The History of the Development of Modern Ceramics in Taiwan*,his practice is described as "avant-garde" and "culturally critical." The study emphasizes his figurative approach to ceramics, integrating multiple materials and symbolic or architectural vocabularies. His works have been interpreted as engaging in a cross-disciplinary dialogue with postmodern concepts, broadening the expressive possibilities of ceramic art.

Awards 2011 – Special Honor Award of the Legislative Assembly, the 57th Faenza International Biennale of Ceramic Art, Italy 2009 – Special Honor Award of the President of the Chamber of Deputies, the 56th Faenza International Biennale of Ceramic Art, Italy 2003 – Grand Prize, the 3rd Taipei Ceramics Award, Taiwan 2002 – Grand Prize, the 16th Nanying Award, Taiwan 2000 – Excellence Award, the 14th Nanying Award, Taiwan

Selected collections 2007 – Daughter Sammy, New Taipei City Yingge Ceramics Museum, Taiwan 2006 – Heavenly Lotus Scroll, National Museum of History, Taiwan 2003 – Drifting Twin Western Pagodas, New Taipei City Yingge Ceramics Museum, Taiwan 2002 – The Law of Cosmic Expansion, Bureau of Cultural Affairs, Tainan City Government, Taiwan 2000 – Consensus Delusion Scroll, National Museum of History, Taiwan 1998 – Celestial Orbital Path, New Taipei City Yingge Ceramics Museum, Taiwan 1992 – The Narrow Gate, Chiu Ho-cheng Foundation, Taiwan

Solo exhibitions 2013 – Floral Paper Sealed with Jade, Art Taipei / Ever Harvest Art Gallery, Taiwan 2013 – Eternal Poetry, New Taipei City Arts Center, Taiwan 2011 – XI - Xinhai, INCONTRI CON IL CINEMA ASIATICO 12, Museum of Contemporary Art of Rome (MACRO), Italy 2010 – Cheng, Art Taipei / Elsa Gallery, Taiwan 2004 – Shaping the Circle, New Taipei City Yingge Ceramics Museum, Taiwan 1999 – Riding the Wind with Vast Feathers, Dunhuang Art Gallery, Hsinchu, Taiwan 1998 – Celestial Spine, Dunhuang Art Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan 1994 – Harmonic Wavelength, Dunhuang Art Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan