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newsletter, jan. 01

updated tue 23 jan 01

 

clayart chinese on mon 22 jan 01


CHINESE CLAYART, January 2001, Vol. 18. NCECA Discussion: Chinese and
Western.

"CHINESE CLAYART" is a newsletter emailed monthly to professional artists,
curators, collectors, writers, experts, educators and students in the
ceramic field, who want to know about ceramic art in China and things
related. This newsletter will be a bridge between China and Western
countries for the ceramic arts. Comments and suggestions are very welcome.
(Copyright 2001, The Chinese Ceramic Art Council, USA. All rights
reserved.)

The Chinese Ceramic Art Council, USA
P.O. Box 64392, Sunnyvale, CA 94088, USA
Tel. 408-245-6271, Fax. 408-245-8756
Email: editor@chineseclayart.com
Web: www.chineseclayart.com
Chief Editor: Guangzhen "Po" Zhou
English Editor: Deborah Bouchette

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS
To match our web site address www.chineseclayart.com, our email newsletter
title has been changed from "CHINA Clayart" to "CHINESE Clayart," and also
our email address has been changed from chinaclayart@hotmail.com to
chineseclayart@hotmail.com. Or you may send emails to
editor@chineseclayart.com. We very much appreciate your subscription.

OPPORTUNITIES
The International Ceramic Symposium, Yixing and China Ceramic Tour, May 24 -
June 13, 2001. All of the information is available now at our website
www.chineseclayart.com.

FEATURES
The Chinese National Master of the Arts and Crafts, Xu Xiu-Tang and his
Chang-Le-Hong Ceramic Art Company, Yixing, China.
Xu Xiu-Tang, Director
Chang-Le-Hong Ceramic Art Company, Ltd.
Tong-shu Road, Dingshu Town, Yixing
Jiangsu Province, P. R. China. #214221
Tel. 86-510-740-2715, Fax. 86-510-740-5676

Mr. Xu Xiu-Tang is a Chinese National Master of the Arts and Crafts, the
director of the Ceramic Art Branch of the Arts and Crafts Association of
Jiangsu Province, a member of the Chinese Artists Association, and the
director of Chang-Le-Hong Ceramic Art Company, Ltd.

Born in Yixing China 1937, Mr. Xu started making clay works in his
childhood. In 1958 he was selected by the government to study in a special
sculptural training course in the Central Academy of Arts and Design (now
called the Academy of Arts and Design, Hsing-Hua University), Beijing,
China.

Mr. Xu was regarded as the number one sculptor in the Yixing area. Mr. Xu's
works are very realistic with Chinese traditional themes in both sculptural
and teapot forms. He has received many national prizes, and his clay works
have been collected by many museums national wide and abroad, such as the
Shanghai Museum, the Nanjing Museum, the Ancient Palace Museum-Beijing, the
Hong Kong Tea-ware Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of New York, USA, and the
Victoria Museum in United Kingdom.

Mr. Xu also wrote many essays and compiled some books, such as "The Chinese
Purple Sand" and "Treasure of Yixing," and he was invited by some
organizations to visit Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Japan during 1980's and
1990's.

Funded in 1994, Chang-Le-Hong Ceramic Art Company, Ltd. (In Chinese, Chang
means long, Le means happy, Hong means magnificent.) is a Sino-Japan joint
venture. The company gathered many clay artists, and the company's products
include figurative sculptures, the Purple Sand tea-ware, ceramic statuary,
and some other decorative art. The company building contains studio rooms
and also the exhibition room that houses a lot of Mr. Xu's early works and
many significant pieces from the Yixing area.

PROFILE
A bi-lingual (Chinese and part in English) quarterly magazine called
"Chinese Potters Newsletter" is available for the cost of the postage $20 US
(annually). Please contact I-chi Hsu, Publish/Editor, Box 100600-9025,
International Post Office, Beijing, China.
Tel. 86-10-6434-0924, Fax. 86-10-6433-6575, Email:
ichi@hsuartspromotion.com, Web: www.chinaceramicart.com , www.CL2000.com
(ceramic section)

CONFERENCE AND EVENT
NCECA Conference at Charlotte, North Carolina, 2001.
Discussion group, March 30th from 3:30 to 5:00 PM.
"Ceramic Cultural Exchanges Between Chinese and Western Artists"
There is a wealth of information and wisdom exemplified by several millennia
of outstanding achievement in the ceramic arts in China. What is the best
way to engage in a meaningful exchange between artists in our two cultures?
How can we share equally to develop mutual respect and understanding? What
are the pitfalls and stigmas we need to recognize and avoid?

The discussion will be led by Richard Notkin and Guangzhen "Po" Zhou.
Richard Notkin is a full-time studio artist who lives and works in Helena,
Montana. Guangzhen "Po" Zhou, born in Shanghai, China, is a ceramic artist
and author who currently lives in Sunnyvale, California. Mr. Zhou is the
author of "American Ceramic Artists Today," the first text published in
Chinese on American Ceramics.

TRAVEL IN CHINA - Things To Do and To Know in General
(Updated January 2001)
(1). The time difference between China and the United States is 16 hours for
the East coast, and 13 hours for the West coast. Jet-lag could be a problem
for everyone. Eastward flights have stronger effects than westward. Avoid
heavy food, alcohol, coffee and tea, be relaxed and go to bed a little
earlier for a few days before departure.
(2). The electricity voltage is 220 in China. An adapter is needed if you
need a battery charger for your video camera.
(3). Your passport must have at least 6 months before it expires. Carry a
photocopy of your passport in a separate place, in case your passport is
lost or stolen.
(4). Be prepared for additional expenses and purchases, etc. with traveler's
checks, credit cards and some cash. Bring a few personal checks just in
case. Carry money, credit cards and passport in a concealed pouch or money
belt for protection.
(5). Bring a copy of your medical record in case you need to see doctors in
China.
(6). To call China from the U. S., use the country code 86, plus city code
and phone numbers. Check with your long distance company for any discounts
calling to Asian countries.
(9). Plan to wear comfortable dress, in natural fibers to allow your skin to
breathe. Bring more T-shirts and underwear and a pair of sandals. It will be
warm for the most part during the summer. A light jacket or sweater is
needed for cool evenings in some areas.
(10). Bring a pair of sunglasses, raincoat or umbrella.
(11). Toilet paper is not provided in many toilet facilities. You might want
to purchase about a dozen pocket packs of Kleenex tissues before departing,
and carry one with you at all time.
(12). Avoid oversized luggage. Two medium-sized pieces are preferable, at
least one of which should be "carry-on" size. Shoulder straps and / or
wheeled luggage will help during long walks through a train station. Pack
lightly -- leave room for acquisition of pottery, books and other mementos
of the tour. An extra, collapsible bag can be carried in your luggage for
the return home.
(13). Slide film is difficult to buy in some small towns. Please purchase
film in the U.S. before departure. 200 ASA is the most versatile for all
exposure needs, but you may consider other films. Some 400 ASA is desirable
for dark locations (some museums and indoor sites, and for night or evening
shots).
(14). Print your business cards with both English and Chinese (highly
recommended, available for about $15 for 100 pieces if printed in China).
(15). Bring your biography, resume and 10 - 20 of slides of your work for
ceramic cultural exchanges. Also, bring postcards, catalogs or magazines
with your work. These are eagerly exchanged with Chinese ceramic artists.
Small ceramic objects exchanged as gifts are also appreciated.
(16). Tipping: About $1 for the driver and $2 for the local tour guide
everyday is recommended. Expect to leave some additional tips for luggage
handling at hotels, airports or train stations.
(17). Crime is not a great problem in China, but pickpockets are common.
Most train stations have nice "soft coach waiting rooms" for foreigners,
which are quite safe. Do not take third class trains.
(18). For sanitation reasons, do not buy food on the street, and do not
drink water from hotel bathroom faucets. Plan to purchase drinking water,
which is readily available. You may also want to purchase packaged moist
"Towelettes" to wash your hands before eating, or sanitized packaged alcohol
wipes for sanitizing any eating utensils you are worried about.
(19). Do not exchange money on the street. You may get counterfeit currency.

ACTIVITIES
The Second Chinese Delegation of Ceramic Artists will come to Charlotte,
North Carolina, for the NCECA Conference; the group will be about five clay
artists, including two of the Chinese National Master of Arts and Crafts: Xu
Xiu-Tang and Wang Yin-Xian (there are only six artists who have received
this honorary title in the Yixing area.)
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The end.
An earlier newsletter is on the Web at:
http://www.chineseclayart.com/news.html


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