Barbara Brown on fri 24 jun 05
Just back from a 3 week pottery trip to China led by Po Zhou/ Chinese Cla=
yart. There were 4 clayarters on the trip, Bonita Cohn, Fred Paget, Po Z=
hou and myself.
We started in Shanghai. Highlights of Shanghai were Shanghai Museum, ant=
ique market and visit to Caroline Cheng's Pottery Workshop. (She has Pott=
ery Workshops in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Jingdezhen) =20
On to Yixing for a 4 day Yixing Teapot Conference. We visited artist stu=
dios, attended slide shows and saw 3 big shows-NCECA Teapot show, IAC sho=
w and International Artists shows. I had a square plate in the Internati=
onal Artist show. Saw many Chinese potter friends from Yixing who have c=
ome to Calif and then on to NCECA. (Po brings 15 Yixing potters to Americ=
a every year for NCECA and then takes American and international potters =
to China every year on a pottery tour)
After the conference 29 of us went to Xuancheng to an ancient pottery tow=
n and saw them making big jars by coil method, also visted rice paper mak=
ing studio. Then on to Yellow Mountain with world famous scenery, then t=
o Jingdezhen (blue and white porcelain). Visited Ceramic Institute, Scul=
ptural Porcelain factory and historical exhibition area, Yaoli Village an=
d Gaoling mountain. Visted Caroline Cheng's new Jingdezhen Pottery Worksh=
op =20
Flight to Xian, saw Terracotta Warriors and visited factory where they ma=
ke the reproductions. Near the mosque area is a wonderful antique market=
.
Visited Chenlu, historical pottery village on top of a mountain which is =
famous for celadon glaze. Visited Mr Li, one of my favorite potters, stu=
dio and saw his celadon porcelain work. On the way to Chenlu we visited=
Fuping Pottery Art Village/FuLe International Ceramic Art Museums where =
they have built several museums and have a wonderful work space for Chine=
se and international ceramic artists to come and work. We saw several sh=
ows in the museums there. My friend, IChi Hsu of Hap Pottery in Beijing h=
as a home there and has been instrumental in the founding of this project=
. It is a beautiful place. IChi comes to NCECA every year.
Over night train from Xian to Beijing. Visited the Great Wall, Forbidden=
City, Summer Palace, and the Center Academy of Fine Arts. Visted with t=
he ceramic professor there, Lu Ping Chang. 5 members of our group (Richa=
rd Notkin, David Furman, Jason Walker, Sergei Isupov, and Susan Beiner) g=
ave a slide show for the students there.
3 shopping excursions: Liulichang Street, Silk Street and weekend antiqu=
e flea market (Panjiayuan). The best was Panjiayuan, literally hundreds =
of stalls of pottery, ethnic jewelry and crafts, brush paintings, books, =
wood blocks to push into clay, everything you could ever want. You must =
bargain for everything you buy.
If you are planning on going to Beijing, I have written up a potter's gui=
de to Panjiayuan which I will share with you.
Some things in China are cheap (tape of Chinese music 5 yuan (60 cents) a=
nd some are expensive Hagen Daas ice cream bar 30 yuan ($3.25). I bought=
both.
Had a great time. Po leads a great tour and looks after everyone. I pla=
n to go back in 2008 for the IAC conference.
Barbara
Barbara Brown
1225 Manzano Way
Sunnyvale, Ca 94089
408-736-3889
bbrown3@webtv.net
www.silverhawk.com/crafts/bbrown97
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