There was lots of travel this week, my third one in China. I flew from Wuhan to Beijing where I met up with Janet DeBoos, Australia and Paul Mathieu, Canada. They had just flown in and we did not have any real obligations except to visit our friend and publisher Mao. We visited a gallery in the old city wall tower, a park with peonies in late bloom and the National Art Museum.
We hopped the fast train (best system in the world!) and headed to Zibo to spend a couple days working at the Huang Huang Bone China Factory. After 2 years I was finally able to see my teapot design in limited production. I was very pleased! I spent a day designing another teapot for them I hope to see finished on a future visit.
Then on to the fast train again, this time to Nanjing. It is always wonderful to visit our friends at the Nanjing University of the Arts. Yanze Jiang took us to the Gao Shang Bone Chine factory where she has a design studio. We visited LuBin and his wife Li YuHua and their community ceramics studio. Their daughter, whose English name Donna I suggested, kept us entertained. The big event was the all-university degree shows that filled every inch of the campus inside and out. Even their large museum was taken over by student work. There were fashion shows, architectural projects, music and theater as well. It was very impressive.
On the fast train one more time to Shanghai. Just a short half-day in a city I love to walk around in. We had dinner with friends from the Pottery Workshop and the American Center. Joe Bova flew in just in time for dinner.
The next day the staff of the Shangyu Celadon Modern International Ceramics Center picked the four of us up. After a few hours we arrived in Shaoxing and taken to the center and then our hotel home for the next month. I look forward to having the focus time in this remarkable residency making new work.
View of Forbidden City
Peonies
My teapot
New teapot design
GaoShan Factory
Yanze’s Studio
Nanjing University of the Arts
Dinner with friends
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