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October 21, 2014

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Jingdezhen lures horde of foreign ceramic artists

CHINESE water-ink painting, brighter Western watercolors and delicate porcelain are curiously integrated in the works of American artist Philip Read, making him a focus of attention at a ceramics fair in China’s porcelain capital of Jingdezhen.

Attracted by the art of ceramics, Read has been living in Jingdezhen in central China’s Jiangxi Province for the last four years. It is the third time he has brought his artworks to the annual event, which runs until tomorrow.

“I have a studio here and I also teach making ceramics,” said Read, one of a number of specialist foreign artists plying their trade in a city that has been producing quality pottery for around 1,700 years. “I own another studio in New York, but my works are much more popular in China, for their style is more Chinese than Western, which can be better understood by the Chinese collectors,” he explained.

Thirty years ago, Read, who was then a watercolor painter, started to learn Chinese water-ink painting, and gradually developed a unique style that combines the techniques of the two types of painting. About 20 years ago, a trip to Jingdezhen introduced him to the ceramics world. “Before that trip, I was not that interested in ceramics, but after I touched the material, I realized how magical and special it was. From that point on, I started to get more and more involved in ceramics,” he said.

Read sees similarities between painting on paper and ceramics. “The porcelain is as white as paper, so it can make beautiful contrast. The clay is also absorbent, just like paper, which allows me to use the same painting techniques. The technique, concept and style of my works are all a fusion of Chinese and Western art,” he said.

Like Read, Dutch artist Adriaan Rees has also made his home in Jingdezhen. “For the past seven years, I have been partly living in this city, making ceramics and promoting exchanges between artists in Jingdezhen and Delft, which is the ceramics capital of the Netherlands,” he said.

The fair has attracted companies and artists from 35 countries and regions.




 

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