On the 28th we first went to Ge Jun Pottery Arts Center. Mr. Ge Jun is a researcher and the director of the Yixing Ceramic Research Center of Chinese Culture, especially for the Purple Teapot. He was one of the sponsors of the event. All our teapots were exhibited in his Arts Center. The exhibition holds pots from 100 potters from 100 countries of five continents around the world.  It is impossible to show all the pots on my blog. They published a catalogue and I will show you just a few.

The white pots are from Antonella Cimatti, Italy; the blue and red teapots are from Christina Wiese, Austria; and the lower teapots are from Evgenija Portnoj Kostic, Serbia. A YOU TUBE movie from the exhibition.

Standing with Evgenija in front of Ge Jun’s Art Center.









Then we had the opening ceremony in the morning. To the left is the curator of the Shanghai Arts and Crafts Museum; in the middle is Mr. Ge Jun; and to the right is Linda, the translator. A YOU TUBE movie from part of the opening.

Two ladies were showing how to make a Yixing Purple teapot. It is incredibly precise and fine and perfect work and takes a couple of hours to make and all by hand. A YOU TUBE movie of a little part of the making of such a teapot.

In the afternoon we went to the Shanghai Arts and Crafts Museum which is a model of the architectural style of the Renaissance of France. The museum has some beautiful art and artisans show how it is made.





A group picture in front of the Shanghai Arts and Crafts Museum.

Next day we went on a bus all the way to Yixing city. We started to get to know each other better, had some interesting discussions and sang songs together. Watch the YOU TUBE movie.




Yixing is China’s pottery capital. The Yixing clay dates back to the Song Dynasty (960 – 1279) when purple clay was first mined around Lake Taihu in China. The finished stoneware, which is used for teaware and other small items, are usually red or brown in color. The clays are very cohesive and can be formed by slip molding, coil forming, or most commonly, slab forming. They are known as Purple Sand ware, and are typically unglazed. The most famous wares made for Yixing clay are the teapots.

First, we went to the China Ceramic Cultural Institute, Research Center for Purple Culture of the purple teapot. It was interesting with some beautiful work. We went to a factory and saw students working on their teapots.

Next, we saw the “Qianshu Dragon Kiln” in Qianshu village, Dingshu town, a state protected historic town. It is 43.3 meters long, 1.55 meters high, 3 meters wide outside and 2.3 meters wide inside. The kiln was built in the Ming Dynasty (1400 AD) and is being used since then. Coal is the most common fuel being used for firing this kiln.

After that we investigated a four-story building what will become the new “Pot” Museum. Ge Jun had put a lot of his sculptures and from his students on the first floor. Quite interesting.





The last outing for the day was the Yixing Ceramics Museum. It is the first ceramic museum established in China and has an abundant collection of exhibits. Fully revealing Yixing’s long history of pottery production and splendid pottery culture for more then 7000 years from the middle of Neolithic Age up to the present time.

A Celadon Vase. The production of Celadon in Yixing began in the West Zhou Dynasty 11 Centuries BC. The textures of Yixing Celadons is fine, its glaze is crystal clear like ice and green with blue tint like jade. Their shapes are elegant and the decoration is grand.

The last day, we first went to the Shanghai Museum with some beautiful nice and interesting arts.

Then we went to the Bund of Shanghai, an old part of the city with wonderful old architecture and their famous roof architecture and of course now many shops and eateries for tourists. Also, some performers like on the YOU TUBE movie.

After this visit we returned to Ge Jun Pottery Art Center for a last look at the show and the presentation of the Award and catalogue.

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“We have shipped about twenty pieces to Jingdezhen for the International Ceramic Art Exhibition at Jingdezhen International Ceramic Fair, the artists’ name list is: Sandy Kinzie, Clark Edelstein, Bill Geisinger, Joseph Battiato, Jan Schachter, Hsin- Chuen Lin, Jeff Margolin, Barbara Brown, Encka Clark Shaw, Alfred P. Spivack, Swanica Lightenberg, Mia Ishiguro, Marc Barr, Peter A Davis, Steve Hilton, Antonia “Tuppy” Lawson, Bob Pool, Tom Decker, Marnia Johnston and Don Ryan. Most of these artworks have been donated to Jingdezhen Ceramic Art Museum. Thanks to everyone who has been supporting this exhibition!”

Horsehair Gingko Leaves

The museum in situated in the famous Balboa Park, which is a 1,200 acre (4.9 km²) urban cultural park named after the Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa. It is one of the oldest sites in the United States dedicated to public recreational usage in 1835. Balboa Park was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1977. Many of the park’s attractions are along El Prado, a long, wide promenade running through the center of the park. Most of the buildings lining this street are in the Spanish Revival style, a richly ornamented eclectic mixture of Spanish and Latin American architecture. Along this boulevard are many of the park’s cultural attractions and museums like “The Museum of the Living Artist at the San Diego Art Institute”.

The exhibition is a mixed media show. There were two ceramics works, one sculpture and one fabric artwork and lots of 2D works in all kinds of media.
This is my “Golden Lotus Horsehair Vessel”.

My work surrounded by beautiful other artworks.

There were so many more interesting works, but it is impossible to show them all.

So, if you are in the neighborhood, please, make a stop and go see this wonderful exhibition, which is until May the 10th, 2009.

The description of this show is to be an exhibition interested in the exploration of new developments in teapots worldwide during the birth of the 21st century.

There were hundreds of entries from five countries and 26 pieces were selected for this show. The curator and exhibition contact is Guangzhen Po Zhou.

The exhibition dates are from April 6 – 12, 2009 in the French Designer Gallery of French Thompson in Scottsdale, Arizona and concurrent with the NCECA (National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts) conference to be held in Phoenix from 8 – 11 April, 2009.

It was quite a long drive of 6 hours forth and back, but being in each others company, sharing the driving and a good dinner, the time passed by quickly.

The exhibition was in a nice building and it was set-up beautifully.

Yonsoo’s artwork was hanging directly on the wall when you enter the gallery.

And my artwork was standing in the back on a table: a beautiful spot.

Some other artwork. Sorry, I don’t know all the names of the artists.

Fred Yokel

Cynthia Siegel

The exhibition was beautiful. Thanks to Edward Lund and Bob Kizziar.

Yonsoo and Swanica.

When I got my catalogue I looked up my work and there was the picture of my Arsia Caldera Plate. They told me they had chosen the Circles of Life Plate. So, they switched the plates and the Arsia Caldera bears the name of “Circles of Life”. So, I think both of them are in: the title of one of them and the actual plate of the other.

The “Circles of Life” Horsehair Plate ( the actual “Arsia Caldera”).

The actual “Circles of Life” Horsehair Plate.

The announcement poster of the exhibition of 97 winners in the 7th Mashiko International Ceramics Competition of 2008. This is where you go up the stairs to the Mashiko Tougei Messe, the Ceramics Arts Museum of Mashiko.

The award ceremony.

The opening of the exhibition by cutting the ribbon.

It is a great and interesting exhibition and the judges choose wonderful art work.

They found a perfect spot again for my plate. Incredible!

“Circles of Life” Horsehair Plate

Jorgen Hansen’s “Flower Pots” were chosen this year for the Special Judges’ Award by Rupert Faulkner (like my Horsehair Vase was chosen 2 years ago by him).

The first 2 awards are amazing.

A beautiful plate for the Hamada Shoji Award.

Incredible art and craftsmanship for this flower for the Kamoda Shoji Award.

The catalogue of the competition.

My page and on my page lucky number 55!

I left on the train from Kamakura early in the morning. I arrived 3 1/2 hours later just in time for the Opening Ceremony. After the opening talk by the mayor of the city and the organizer of the competition the judges and Grand Prix winners cut the ribbon.

(Please, again click on the images for the right size)

The exhibition was opened! We admired it and were proud on our accomplishment.

It is a very spacious set-up. The woman is looking at my  “Cosmos Horsehair Plate”.

“COSMOS HORSEHAIR PLATE”

The Award Ceremony and Reception.

My plate received an Honorable Mention.

The Catalogue with all pictures of the winner’s pieces.