In 2011, Martha Rieger arrived for the first time in the city of Jingdezhen, the centuries-old center of China’s traditional pottery crafts. Later on, as the only woman among teams of male experts and technicians, practicing hundreds of years of knowledge and experience, Rieger started working on a first large-scale project of eggs, freely adorned with ready-made traditional Chinese decorations in blue and white. The sculptures that resulted in the “Blue & White – Made in China” project, are much larger than the original size of chicken eggs, turned into human scale, due to their physical dominance and personal hand-touch given by the artist. In contrast to the Fabergé eggs, which are covered with gold and precious stones, Rieger’s sculptures reference a long tradition of Blue and White decor – common in Chinese ceramics, but also in Brazilian tiles (Rieger’s country of birth), and in the national flag and patriotic aesthetics of Israel (Rieger’s homeland for most of her life). The eggs’ sculptural presence calls for a tactile touch, as they manifest vulnerability and a gentle approach, in a world filled with violence and aggression. It’s as if Rieger’s sculptures call us to slow down, to embrace and protect the fragility yet “courage” of these quiet, “potential” creatures. If the egg symbolizes a closed world of pre-creation, a moment before birth is given, the sculptures might suddenly resemble delicate babies in the company of the grown-ups, requiring careful attention.

Pieces of this project were awarded the Judge award prize in Mino Ceramic Festival, Japan, 2014.