Pencil Butt (Liang Zhang)

A pencil butt is small, nearly exhausted - too short to hold comfortably but still capable of making a mark. Pencil Butt captures this liminal state in ceramic, turning a fleeting remnant into something permanent. Part of a series exploring objects on the edge of usefulness, the piece reflects on the tension between giving up and pushing forward. By preserving this overlooked fragment, it questions when something truly loses its purpose and when perseverance might still yield results.