Eona Gao
I whispered, “It’s all upside down,” but the mirror refused to reply.
Bio
Eona Jiawei Gao is a multidisciplinary artist based in New York, whose work bridges nature, self-reflection, and the delicate balance of strength and fragility. Drawing inspiration from organic forms and textures, her creations celebrate the resilience of the natural world while inviting introspection into the human experience.
Eona’s artistic journey has been one of exploration and transformation. Initially working as a multimedia artist creating animations, videos, and installations, she later experimented with various media, including wood, to explore themes of identity and materiality. Following the pandemic and a personal hiatus, she rediscovered her practice through clay, embracing ceramics for its meditative and transformative nature.
Ceramics now play a central role in her work, embodying the duality of strength and fragility. Through symbolic motifs like ears and blossoms, Eona reflects on themes of transformation, interconnectedness, and the quiet power of vulnerability.
Eona holds an MFA in Digital Arts from Pratt Institute and a BA in Animation from the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology. With over eight years of professional experience in design and multimedia, her art continues to resonate through its emotional depth and universal themes, connecting people to nature, to each other, and to the shared human journey.
Selected Group Exhibitions
Prospects, INTERSTICE 夾縫, Curated by Catherine Lan, Parasol Projects, New York, NY, USA
2019
A Book of 27 Years, Nightshift, Curated by Leah Roh & Caroline Voagen Nelson, The Clemente, New York, NY, USA
Talia, The Digital Body: The 3rd International Exhibition, CICA Museum, Gimpo-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea
Possession, PRATT DIGITAL ARTS IMAGING & INTERACTIVE ARTS SHOW, Pablo’s Birthday, New York, NY, USA
I Am You, Time and Space, CICA Museum, Gimpo-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea
2017
SYNCED, Under The Viaduct, Curated by Savona Bailey-McClain, Presented by The West Harlem Art Fund, New York City Department Of Transportation (NYCDOT) Weekend Walks Program and Pratt’s Digital Arts, New York, NY, USA
2015
Awards
噪点, Silver Award in Short Film Section, Cherry Film Festival, Beijing, China
2011
Publications
Finding Dreamlands, Finding Myself, Digital Body: New Media Art 2018 CICA Museum,Gimpo-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea
2018
My art is a quiet conversation between the natural world and the inner self, inspired by the delicate balance of strength and fragility that defines both. Nature, with its intricate forms and quiet resilience, is a recurring theme in my work. It begins with the earth—soft, yielding clay that carries the weight of possibility. It serves not only as a source of inspiration but as a metaphor for growth, transformation, and interconnectedness. Like life itself, ceramics are full of contradictions: delicate yet enduring, tender yet sharp. It is this tension that I explore in my work, the way beauty can coexist with edges that cut, the way something fragile can withstand the fire. Through my creations, I invite viewers to pause and reflect on their place within the larger ecosystems of life.
Ceramics, my chosen medium, embodies this duality in profound ways. Born from the earth, clay is transformed through the touch of hands and the crucible of fire into something both delicate and enduring. It is fragile enough to break, yet its broken edges can become sharp, like blades—a stark reminder of how beauty and danger, strength and vulnerability, coexist. To me, ceramics are more than a material; they are a metaphor for life itself: soft and yielding, yet capable of holding form, meaning, and resilience.
Self-reflection is at the heart of my practice. My work often integrates symbolic motifs such as ears, which represent listening and connection, or organic forms inspired by nature, like buds and blossoms that evoke renewal and potential. These elements serve as visual expressions of human experiences—of growth, of breaking, of rebuilding, and of the strength found in fragility.
Through my art, I aim to evoke both curiosity and emotional resonance. By weaving the textures and rhythms of nature into the transformative process of ceramics, I strive to create works that invite contemplation. I want my pieces to remind viewers of their own resilience and their connection to the world around them. My art is an offering, a reflection, and an exploration of the intricate balance between vulnerability and strength that defines us all.
Artist Statement