A Yue kiln celadon dream

The Shanglin Lake appears quiet and beautiful in May. Around the lake, the tree-covered ancient kiln sites, as well as the celadon pieces on the mountain area, form the worlds only open celadon Museum.

Yesterday, the reporter went to the Shangyue Porcelain Art Institute, located on the shore of Shanglin Lake, to interview Shi Zhen, the inheritor of the techniques of making Yue kiln celadon. This day coincided with the day of starting the making of another kiln of celadon. Shi Zhen carefully installed porcelain bodies in the kiln, arranged them in lines and allocated the positions for each part. "This is my work of the last two months. I have lost count of the times of burning the porcelain." She gently closed the kiln door and started the burning process once again.

It is a strong sense of family tradition that leads Shi Zhen to the road of making celadon. Shi Yuren, a brother of her grandfather, is an important modern ceramic art education theorist in China and co-founder of Jingdezhen Ceramic Art College, and Xu Chaoxing, her uncle-in-law, is a Chinese master of arts and crafts as well as President of Zhejiang Celadon Association. Still in her early days, Shi Zhen showed an unusual artistic talent and was good at music, art and dance. At the age of 16, along with Shi Yuren, she went to study in Jingdezhen, stepping on a road of porcelain art. Subsequently, she was admitted to the Department of Ceramic Design of Jingdezhen Ceramic Art Institute. In 1997, as the first exchange student in field of ceramic art in China, Shi Zhen went to Korea Seoul Industrial University to study ceramics. In 2000, she returned from Korea to Cixi, and started the Shangyue Porcelain Art Co. Ltd. as her works had become known in China. Since the establishment of the company, it has undergone numerous times of debates on market first or art first , and she finally decided to put her heart to the art first. In 2011, Shi Zhen founded the Shangyue Porcelain Art Institute and focused her efforts on the study of inheritance and innovation of the burning techniques of the celadon of Yue kiln.

The celadon pieces around the Shanglin Lake serve as the sources of inspiration for Shi Zhen. Her works displayed in the exhibit room of the Institute, including the Dagger and Goldfish Amphora, and the Chrysanthemum Jar, all as smooth as jade, shows a kind of soft and elegant beauty. "I can almost feel the pulse and breaths of the ancient people while working." One can never miss the style of Yue kiln celadon in her works. To her, the three-beauty standard (beauty in material and glaze, beauty in shape and decorations, and beauty in art and crafts) of the secret porcelain, the best of the Yue kiln celadon works, is the first rule, which lays a unique art foundation for her. At the same time, the integration of the ancient and modern techniques, as well as the lessons learned both from home and abroad, leads to the personalized artistic features for Shi Zhen.

Word came from two recently concluded fairs that two of her works won the first prizes of the fairs respectively. "Leaf Peony Vase" was awarded the Grand Prize of Zhejiang Fine Art and Crafts Expo, and "Interlocking Branches Washing Basin" got the Gold Award of 2013 Yiwu Cultural Products Fair.

"Carrying the ancient kiln heritage, developing the modern celadon art" is Shi Zhens personalized signature on her micro-mail. Besides her own creation, she is also engaged in the spreading the techniques of celadon burning to those concerned for free. On the second floor of the institute, she provides clay and tools free of charge to those enthusiastic children who are interested in learning about the celadon culture and burning techniques. She said, Inheritance is important and to teach these kids is just as significant as artistic creation.

The Yue kiln had been used for nearly a thousand years, but later on the techniques disappeared for almost the same time span. To hand down the burning techniques of Yue kiln celadon in its hometown is Shi Zhens "China Dream, and she is intent on doing her own part to spread the celadon culture.

Source: Wu Qinghua, Ningbo Daily, May 5, 2013

LINK:	http://en.nbwh.gov.cn/art/2013/5/15/art_1325_39999.html...
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