Slow is the New Luxury
Gone Peacing is a small multifunctional ceramic object conceived as a quiet invitation to pause. It embodies a mindful retreat—an intentional withdrawal from the noise of contemporary life into a space of stillness, care, and inner balance. The work reflects on the act of safeguarding one’s peace, proposing slowness not as absence, but as a conscious and necessary presence.
The project draws from everyday life in Bali, where spiritual traditions and contemporary rhythms coexist fluidly.
The idea for Gone Peacing emerged during my morning walk along Sanur Beach. There I observed a simple yet profound ritual: people immersing themselves in the ocean—not to swim, but simply to be still. Within Balinese culture, water is regarded as a source of purification and healing. In this gesture, it becomes a space for release, reflection, and mental clarity. So I came up with the title Gone Peacing, a reinterpretation of the idiom “gone fishing,” shifting its meaning toward an inward journey—a temporary departure into a calm and introspection.
The object takes the form of a playful, childlike figure floating in water, suspended between the familiarity of a bath and the openness of the sea. Its rounded proportions and gentle figurative presence aims to evoke lightness and ease. Positioned between function and sculpture, the piece operates as a vessel while remaining open-ended, inviting personal narratives and moments of quiet engagement.
Rather than pursuing uniformity, the making process is inspired by the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi, with its appreciation for imperfection, and the Indonesian principle of gotong royong, which embodies humility and interconnectedness. This allows for subtle variations in form and surface, resulting in pieces that carry their own character and quiet individuality.
The first Gone Peacing pieces were created in early 2022, shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic. Made from a black clay body with colorful headpieces, they felt like small sparks of life emerging from a period of darkness. The second edition, developed in late 2025, evolved from an earlier project titled Terratrooper. Like Terratrooper, it utilizes a blend of local Balinese terracotta and Javanese stoneware, resulting in earthy tones and rough textures that evoke a sense of groundedness and connection to nature.
While Terratrooper engaged with external ecological concerns, Gone Peacing turns inward, shifting the focus toward mental space, emotional balance, and the subtle rituals of everyday life. It reflects on the growing importance of slow and mindful living, proposing that moments of peace, presence, and balance have become a form of luxury in contemporary life.