A celadon bowl by Chen Aiming (Shanghai Daily) |
Large-scale porcelain exhibitions are rare, especially those including big names such as Wang Xiliang, Liu Zheng and Gan Daofu.
"In my view, a quality piece of porcelain is a combination of raw materials, techniques, shape and painting. It is a combination of technique and art, but at this time the element of technique is over-emphasized. This is not the right direction for the future of china," Zhong says.
Zhong's family makes porcelain in Jingdezhen, the "cradle" of China's porcelain ware, but after studying the heritage of China's imperial kilns, Zhong was bored by all the similar contemporary works that are being turned out today.
The current exhibition features work that seems to fuse both eastern and western sensibilities and techniques.
For example, Liu Zheng's "Night Owl" painted on a rectangular plate evokes the impressionist brush strokes of Matisse. The artist turns porcelain into a canvas filled with primitive energy and power.
Extinction of river dolphin: What does it mean for the Yangtze River?