As the momentum of industrialization caught on in China, many traditional industries changed fundamentally. From the integrated structure of the traditional handicraft industries generated many new professional areas.
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| Artistic ceramic sculpture--Fossil 2004-1 (Artist: Lu Bin). | Today's Chinese ceramics industry is no longer monopolized by handiwork. It has been divided into several industries including industrial ceramics, architectural ceramics, daily commodity ceramics and modern ceramic arts. Regions such as Chaozhou of Guangdong Province, Zibo of Shandong Province, Liling of Hunan Province and Tangshan of Hebei Province are all newly established production zones for daily commodity porcelain; Foshan of Guangdong Province is concentrated on production of architectural ceramics.
Some traditional ceramics production areas, such as Jingdezhen of Jiangxi Province, Yixing of Jiangsu Province, Longquan of Zhejiang Province, Dehua of Fujian Province, Shiwan of Guangdong Province mainly focuses on development of artistic ceramic crafts. Furthermore, those historical kilns that ceased production for one reason or another, due to market demands, have reopened for business. These include the traditional Ru, Jun, Imperial, Yaozhou, Cizhou kilns and so on. Meanwhile, under the leadership and encouragement of art institutions nationwide, modern ceramic arts have become a hot spot in the development of contemporary Chinese ceramics.
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| Artistic ceramic sculpture--Owl (Artist: Zhou Guozhen). | China is a nation of ceramics with a long and enduring history. It had once directed the new trends in the world's ceramic arts. However, in the new industrial age, modern porcelain for daily use relies on Western designs and standards. Western ceramics produced solely for the sake of art, with no functional value, have
only been around for a little over half a century. However, its influence on the Chinese ceramics industry is immense.
Since the 1980's, traditional Chinese handmade ceramics gained tremendous progress in development. The earliest demand for such products was from the overseas markets, as people of the world gained a long-lasting and beautiful impression of Chinese ceramic products. Even when authentic and original wares were out of reach, due to availability or cost, these ceramic ware aficionados hoped to purchase imitation ware. All at once, many traditional kilns were immersed in the production of imitation retrospective porcelain.
At the same time, China's economic boom has transformed the living standards of the Chinese for the better, including furniture, home displays, interior decorations and collector's hobbies; it increased the demand for traditional Chinese porcelain ware. Although retrospective imitation is not exactly originality and creativity, it allowed for the rediscovery of many nearly lost trades and skills; and along with it many notable and talented ceramic artisans. They were immediately recognized by the market and were also granted high social status by the country.
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| "Ray of Life" ---Environmental ceramic sculpture for on art museum in Seoul, Korea. (Artist: Zhu Legeng). | In the field of art education, there are 54 colleges and universities with ceramics majors, with curriculums in household porcelain ware, modern ceramics, traditional ceramic crafts and so on. Many of these institutions, aside from enrolling undergraduate students in ceramics majors, also recruit masters and doctoral students. In the age-long production centers of porcelain, such as Jingdezhen of Jiangxi, Liling of Hunan, Zibo of Shandong, Dehua of Fujian, Chaozhou of Guangdong an upsurge of newly founded ceramics schools is taking place.
The multifarious cultural traditions, humanistic interactions, raw supplies and crafts of Chinese ceramic production places deeply attract ceramic artisans from around the world. The city of Jingdezhen, especially, has become a place of pilgrimage for these artisans, as it was the origin of Kaolin and the center of the
world's ceramic arts. Even today, Jingdezhen's special history and culture of ceramics, as well as its unique porcelain-making techniques, are still longed for by the global ceramic elites.
The history of ceramics is the accumulation of experience and knowledge. From primitive earthenware to all kinds of colorful porcelain, the secrets of ceramics lie within handiwork formulas inherited through the generations. Even more magic
is hidden in the bits of experiences gathered in various aspects of production, including material selection, producing the body modeling, decorations and firing. Contemporary Chinese ceramic arts
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| Artistic ceramic sculpture--"Savage." (Artist: Li Zhengwen). | are the most antique and traditional but at the same time reflecting the most novel and modern.
It is a reflection of the past because Chinese ceramic ware, just as traditional Chinese painting, is subject to influences and restrictions of the overall Chinese cultural history and background, in areas such as rules, laws, models, styles and inner meanings. We say that it is new and energetic because regardless of daily commodity porcelain with industrial designs or modern ceramic arts, they are all products born of the tide of industrial revolution in the Western world, and not the continuation of tradition.
Contemporary Chinese ceramics bid farewell to the small and enclosed individual studios and onto the lively stage of Chinese contemporary arts. From tradition to modernity, from handicraft to expressions of individual creativity, Chinese ceramics are becoming more and more aligned with the global arts community. |
