“Reading Porcelain,” an exhibition featuring contemporary pottery works by Xiao Gu, Chen Qiang, Lu Rongzhi and Fu Shen is currently showcased at Jing Tong Art Space through December 20.
The exhibit tries to break the traditional stereotypes and redefine the porcelain-making art by fusing painting, installation and sculpture.
Xiong Jinglan, owner of Jing Tong Art Space who has been engaged in China’s contemporary porcelain for more than a decade, said “This is the 25th porcelain exhibition for Jing Tong Art Space, and I hope that more visitors could appreciate these contemporary porcelain works through different angles.”
From Song Dynasty (960-1271) to Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties (1271-1911), traditional Chinese porcelain-making process emphasized the glazed surface of the pottery, which relied much on craftsmanship and had no direct involvement of the artists.
“That is the reason why I invited a group of artists from different media to participate in the process of porcelain making,” Xiong explained.
“It might break the stereotypical image of Chinese porcelain and transform them into a piece of contemporary work of art.”
The highlight of the exhibition goes to Lu Rongzhi’s porcelain pillow, which has a thickly rouged mouth perched in the middle, adding some whimsical touch to the piece of work.
The first Chinese female curator, Lu is founder of “Animamix” which has brought animation and comics into the contemporary art scene.
She is active with her iconic red hair in the local art community for a series of “Animamix” exhibitions she’s curated in the city.
Another spotlight goes to Xiao Gu, a local oil painter who is noted for his landscapes series and his new interpretation of the ancient Chinese masterpieces.
Rather than follow the same subjects he’s put on canvas, Xiao tried a more abstract approach on the porcelain vases, rendering a distant yet elegant Zen aura to his works.
Info
Date: Through December 20, 10am-6pm
Venue: Jing Tong Art Space
Address: 700 Huangpi Rd S.
