Wolkje is the artistic name of Hsi Yun Shih, a Taiwanese ceramic artist, painter, and illustrator based in Lisbon, Portugal. Born in Taipei, Taiwan, she has been living and working in Lisbon since 2018. Her name, Wolkje, means "a small piece of cloud" in Dutch.
For Wolkje, drawing is like talking — it is her way of keeping a diary, a very personal and private language. Ceramics, on the other hand, is a different language. She uses it to send messages, to communicate. It is less about her personal experience and more about sharing with others. As she explains: "Creation is a way of communicating, the most direct and honest way. They don't need to be translated; people can absorb them in their own way. No rules, no constraints. For someone like me who is not good with words, this is my favorite and most vulnerable way to communicate with you." She sees ceramics as three-dimensional painting, shaping her inner feelings and emotions and bringing them to life with color.
Wolkje's ceramic objects transcend their functional roles — as mugs, candleholders, or sculptures — to become personal companions, each with their own personality and name, inviting us to share our humor, thoughts, and secrets. She calls them her "babies" and wishes for them to be more than objects: "They could be a friend. Who you could share a coffee time with." Her ceramic style is vibrant and warm, with each piece having a distinct and charming personality.
Originally, Wolkje decided to travel to Lisbon just to see the city, but she fell in love with the place and has remained there ever since. In April 2024, she returned to Taiwan for the first time to hold a solo exhibition titled "Ninho" (the Portuguese word for "nest") at the Kewco Space in Taipei. The exhibition featured a wide variety of ceramic works and a 23-meter-long scroll painting. The space also invited her to paint extensively on glass during the exhibition period, allowing visitors to step into Wolkje's storybook-like world. For Wolkje, a "nest" is a place with the right temperature, humidity, light, and sound — a place where we can take off our feathers, shed our disguises, and exist in our most authentic way.
Wolkje's work has also been featured by the Albuquerque Foundation in Lisbon and at Lisbon Design Week.
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