Phoenix Satellite TV's "Closer to China" program invites foreign observers to visit the "ocean scenery drift" living in the thousand-year-old porcelain capital.
I am Da Niu, from the United Kingdom, and I am currently a PhD student majoring in Chinese Art History at Tsinghua University.
I once saw a report that Jingdezhen is attracting more and more outsiders to work and study, forming a "Jing drift" family. And every six "jing drifts" have a foreigner, known as "yang jing drift", they all have a common characteristic: obsessed with ceramic production. As a foreigner living in China, I am very curious about the life of the "Ocean Drifters".
The day after we arrived in Jingdezhen, it coincided with the opening of the 2021 Jingdezhen International Ceramic Art Biennial Exhibition. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the Biennale received more than 2,000 exhibited works from around the world, with 206 finalists. Creative ceramic vessels, sculptures, and paintings completely break people's stereotypes of ceramics.
The Biennale was held at Jingdezhen Ceramic University, and the picture shows old books such as the porcelain "History"
At the famous sculpture porcelain factory in Jingdezhen, I met Jeremy, a potter from the United States. He has been obsessed with ceramics since high school, took two master's degrees in ceramics, and worked as a teacher at a university in the United States. But none of this was enough to satisfy his love of ceramics. In 2008, he came to Jingdezhen for the first time, but he did not expect to stay for two months, which eventually developed into a thirteen-year garrison.
Inside the public kiln of the sculpture porcelain factory
Sculptural master of a scooter in a porcelain factory (above)
Jeremy's studio (below)
Jeremy's studio has been sculpting the porcelain factory because it's a place where he can "go into the studio while he's in bed and do what he wants to do." In the sculpture porcelain factory, Jeremy has a long-term cooperation of mold masters, board car masters, and the most frequented public kilns, the owner of the public kilns like to call him Jimmy, and the kiln master has also called him a brother.
Thirteen years on, Jeremy said, "the sculpture porcelain factory is my home. ”
1
2
3
Jeremy's creations are mainly spoons and cups of various shapes, inspired by the natural beauty of his American hometown of Lake Superior.
In Taoxichuan, a new landmark in Jingdezhen, I visited Mr. and Mrs. Yasuda and Felicity, a "senior ocean drifter."
Yasuda was born in Japan in 1943. Obsessed with ceramics, at the age of 19, he gave up the opportunity to go to university and entered a Japanese porcelain factory as an apprentice, and at the age of 29 moved to the United Kingdom, never leaving ceramics.
In 2001, Yasuda came to Jingdezhen for the first time. At that time, state-owned enterprises were undergoing restructuring and the ceramic industry was in a depression, but Yasuda observed that the existence of exquisite craftsmen and tens of thousands of ceramic workshops allowed the city to maintain unlimited possibilities.
At that time, Yasuda was 58 years old, and his wife Felicity thought that when he reached retirement age, he could finally go home and enjoy the time between the two of them. But Mr. Yasuda wanted to go to China, wanted to go to Jingdezhen, and successfully persuaded his wife Felicity to come over. Felicity was stunned, there were all the resources a ceramic artist could want, it was heaven.
After settling in Jingdezhen, Yasuda studied porcelain clay creation, while Felicity collaborated with local craftsmen to concentrate on the creation of large ceramics. In their Red House studio, a dazzling array of equipment and tools, as well as many tools developed and made by Yasuda himself. I also noticed that the chair was crunching as he was pulling the billet, and when I looked down, it turned out to be a particularly traditional Chinese bamboo chair, which he said was his special chair.
Mr. and Mrs. Yasuda told me that a perfect day in Jingdezhen was to take my favorite bun in the morning, go into the studio, and after a day's work, meet with other potters, drink small wine, and chat.
The "Ocean Drifters" witnessed the transformation of Jingdezhen and became part of this ancient city. In recent years, the young people of Jingdezhen have returned, foreign artists have exchanged with each other, and the channels of communication between people and the world have become increasingly diverse. All this has prompted Jingdezhen, an ancient city, to be constantly renewed and rejuvenated.
Editor: Liu Guangyun
Today's Video Recommendations: