A French ceramic artist has found creative inspiration and a vibrant collaborative community in Jingdezhen, known as "porcelain capital" in east China's Jiangxi Province.
In an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Camille Grandaty, who has spent over a decade of her life in Jingdezhen, shared her special attachment to the city, which boasts a legacy of ceramic production spanning thousands of years.
Grandaty was also impressed by the craftsmanship and collaborative spirit prevalent among artisans in the city.
"In the ceramic industry, it is a complex process and people have a strong spirit of craftsmanship and camaraderie. Some spend their entire lives training themselves to paint flowers, some paint butterflies and landscapes, and some spend their entire lives glazing or firing. Working with them is incredible. I like this kind of collaborative work and this kind of team-up feeling. Everyone here is my friend, colleague. So I don't see Jingdezhen as a city. I see it as a huge studio," she said.
The rapid development of Jingdezhen and its unique artistic atmosphere have captivated artists like Grandaty, who have chosen to establish their creative base here, bringing artistic visions to life and honoring traditions of craftsmanship.
"More and more foreign artists like me are attracted and decide to base here. I think it's not just because Jingdezhen has developed so quickly, but also because of the atmosphere of the city. It is a place where people can have their own dreams, a place where they can create their own arts. During the ten years here, I have been constantly learning and changing myself, meeting new people, and feeling new emotion. Years after years, time has given Jingdezhen different meanings, from a royal workshop, to a creative center. But the high regard for craftsmanship the city represents has never changed and will not change," she said.
French artist gets inspired in China's "Porcelain Capital"
The depreciation of Japanese yen has caused an old coffee shop in Kofu City, Yamanashi Prefecture of Japan to suffer rising financial strain due to surging import costs.
The coffee shop, with a 50-year history, is facing fund squeeze. The owner, 82-year-olld Hajime Yoneyama said that the depreciation has led to increased prices for imported raw materials, particularly coffee beans sourced mainly from Brazil, Vietnam, and Colombia, resulting in a 20 percent surge in purchase costs.
"The purchase price (of coffee beans) has increased by 20 percent. I feel that the prices of vegetables and oil have also increased by at least 20 percent. Now the prices of these things continue to rise, with no sign of stopping. The expenditure situation of the store may become more severe in the future," said him.
Yoneyama said that he had to raise the prices to sustain the coffee shop's operation.
"Recently we had to raise the price. Previously, a cup of coffee cost 500 yen. It's no longer sustainable (without price increases) and now it's up to 600 yen," said the owner.
Furthermore, in an effort to cut costs, the elderly Yoneyama works with just one employee, yet the store business kept crippling. He said that a significant portion of his pension funds is used to cover store expenses and employee wages.
Locals worry that if the weak yen trend persists, the pressure on livelihoods will further intensify.
"The prices of everything are increasing, food, drink, vegetables. It would be great if there was a solution. Medical supplies are also an issue that needs to be considered. I do worry about what the future will bring," said a local resident.
"Not only are labor costs rising, but gas costs are also rising, so operators need to cut expenses, such as advertising expenses, and the work that they originally paid to hire people to do may now be borne entirely by the operators themselves," said another resident.
Japan’s time-honored coffee shop face fund squeeze due to weakening yen
