A student from Ghana has recently paid a visit to Jingdezhen City in east China's Jiangxi Province to experience its vibrant ceramic culture carried forward by both local and foreign artists.
Referred to as China's "porcelain capital," Jingdezhen has long been known as a place for porcelain production. The remains of old ceramics factories throughout the city are now displaying new vitality.
The Taoxichuan Ceramic Art Avenue, a new landmark in Jingdezhen, was once an old factory but has since been renovated into an urban cultural and creative block, symbolizing the revival and prosperity of Jingdezhen ceramic culture in the new era.
The factory, originally built in the 1950s, was repurposed using the existing industrial-era buildings as a foundation and transformed into a cultural and creative district, which began operating in October 2016.
Ghanan student Samuel Adom Nkum recently visited the festival held on the historic art avenue.
"In this market, we are seeing a lot of art. They do a festival every autumn and spring. So what they do is, they open it, like I told you for foreigners, but also for local people to come and sell their works. There's a lot of modern and traditional stuff. But there's always a place where both of them overlap. The technique and the medium could be traditional but the painting could be modern," Qurat Ul Ain, a student from Pakistan, told him.
Even more daring ceramic and porcelain artworks are on display at the JVUA (Jingdezhen Vocational University of Art) Art Museum.
"Amazing pieces of art. First I didn't know that we could use this ceramic and porcelain for so many good pieces of art, but over here this is a true exhibition of what can be created with porcelain. The art piece is so authentic and you can feel it is so amazing and I'm really loving it," said Nkum.
The student also visited the China Jingdezhen International Ceramic Expo, held from Oct 18 to 22. This year's exhibition area expanded by 33 percent from last year to 140,000 square meters and included eight major sections, including international brands, renowned kilns and artistic ceramics.
During his visit, Nkum got his hands on a potter's wheel and tried porcelain-making firsthand.
"Not only am I getting the chance to practice making porcelain but also I can buy lots of ceramic products here," he said.
"Being at this Expo is a very beautiful experience getting to know so much about Chinese ceramics. Wherever you are on planet Earth, you come to Jingdezhen, you come to this place, and you're going to see a lot of ceramics, amazing artifacts and amazing pieces of art. You are going to love them here," said the student.
International student experiences ceramic culture in China's porcelain capital
