Artist Statement
Growing up in San Francisco's Chinatown, I have vivid memories of all the beautiful ceramics and handicraft items in my uncle's curio store on Grant Avenue. As a child I began making and creating items first for a make believe store, then for a family of dolls. Later I designed clothes for my friends. I grew up in a community and time where men and women had distinct roles. My mother's fears of this new country, as well as her memories of the war she fled in China had an impact on my life. She always reminded me to "be a good girl, listen, and be silent." I grew up an obedient daughter. Art, especially clay, has given me the voice to break from the boundaries set by my past. This exhibition reflects Dottie's ceramic journey and gives viewers an opportunity to look with new eyes on a familiar medium.
Dottie Low was born in Hong Kong and moved to San Francisco's Chinatown at the age of one, where she has lived most of her life. Dottie has worked in the clay medium for 40 years and has taught ceramics at the Sharon Arts Studio in Golden Gate Park since 1994. She graduated from San Francisco State University; studied at Sacramento State University and Osaka University in Japan. She is constantly looking to challenge herself and the clay's limitations.