Hi I’m Ling Chun and in this workshop, I will demonstrate how I create ceramic sculptures designed to house a neon tube. The term “housing” refers to the structure or component that connects the neon tube to the surface of a sign. In the sign industry, it often describes the hardware where the electrodes of the neon tube meet the electrical current that produces illumination.

Workshop Steps

We will begin by discussing what neon means to me as a ceramic artist and how I integrate mixed media into the conceptual framework of my work. Then, we’ll move into the technical aspects—such as measuring clay shrinkage to ensure that the ceramic components will fit correctly after firing. For my demonstration, I’ll be using a mid-range cone 6 clay body.
Participants will also get a look inside my personal studio, where I’ll share my workflow and creative process—from shaping the neon tubes to building the ceramic components—all within one integrated demonstration.

Results/Benefits

By the end of this workshop, you will gain a foundational understanding of how to incorporate hardware into your ceramic sculptures, with attention to clay shrinkage and fit. You will also expand your knowledge of mixed-media practices and explore ways to connect material processes to personal meaning in your own work.

Required Materials

Sketch book, some clay in hand to play with, and hardware you might want to incorporate into your ceramics piece.

About Ling Chun

Ling Chun is a multimedia artist from Hong Kong, currently based in Seattle, Washington. Her work explores the coexistence of multicultural identities, using materials like ceramics, hair, and neon to reflect themes of cultural memory, transformation, and the disappearing visual language of home.

She received her BFA in Visual Communication Design and Ceramics from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2012, and her MFA in Ceramics from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2016. Her practice combines knowledge of Chinese cultural traditions with a contemporary visual language, creating objects that engage with history and personal narrative.

Ling has held residencies at Seward Park Clay Studio (2012–13), Arquetopia in Puebla, Mexico (2015), c.r.e.t.a.rome in Italy (2016), the Archie Bray Foundation in Montana (2016–18), and Pottery Northwest in Seattle (2018–20). She was named a 2020 Emerging Artist by the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA), received the ArtBridge Fellowship sponsored by Chihuly Garden and Glass, and was shortlisted for the 2019 Young Masters Art Prize in London and a finalist for the 2021 Korea International Ceramics Biennale.

Ling currently teaches ceramics at North Seattle College. Her recent work investigates Chinese neon sign-making as both a disappearing craft and a personal act of preservation—melding light and clay to hold memory, belonging, and identity in a single form.

Instagram: @whoisherry

Website: whoisherry.com