Chasing The Sacred: A Personal Archive

Author

Yiko YangFollow

Date of Award

Spring 5-31-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts (MFA)

Department

Glass

First Advisor

Rachel Berwick

Second Advisor

Sean Salstrom

Third Advisor

Ian Alden Russell

Abstract

The relationship between humans and nature is like that of a child to a mother, or consciousness to the unconscious. The former arises from the latter, which always holds and shapes it. As human consciousness evolves, the desire to return to the unconscious remains—we are always looking back, searching for that first glimpse of the world.

Thinking back to my childhood, certain fundamental images—archetypes—come to mind. Rooted in the research of Carl Jung and Erich Neumann, this concept also stems from my family’s cultural heritage and my deep, lasting connection with nature as a child. These archetypes reflect the natural world’s inherent rhythm—the interplay of containment and transformation. This mirrors the fluid and ever-changing nature of glass, where the process of making awakens my unconscious, allowing these archetypes to emerge in my work.

These works embody a return to the primordial archetype—the Great Mother. Through personal experience and the practice of glassmaking, this thesis explores how we inherit these archetypes from nature and reimagine them through creation, expressing a longing to return to the source of life.

Recommended Citation

Yang, Yiko, "Chasing The Sacred: A Personal Archive" (2025). Masters Theses. 1359.
https://digitalcommons.risd.edu/masterstheses/1359

Creative Commons License

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