Contemporary Shiwan Art Pottery(
Shiwan Ceramics, Beauty, Color and Passion)
tinyurl.com/10i4f46uIn the archaic stage of Shiwan pottery was in the Ming and early Qing periods, and its flowering in the middle Qing to early Republican periods, it can be said that in modern times Shiwan is still in its golden age. In contrast to the turn of the century, when Manuel da Silva Mendes was collecting and might not find a single artwork on a visit to Shiwan, today Shiwan art pottery floods the streets of Shiwan, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Southeast Asia and San Francisco.
After 1949 with government support, a factory was established solely for Shiwan art pottery and the artists organized into special design studios. Many of these designers were third and fourth generation artists whose sons are now entering the design studios or branching off into the more recent private art kilns around Shiwan.
Many of the artists in the generation approaching retirement, such as Liu Chuan, Liu Zemian, Liao Hongbiao, and Zhuang Jia, tended to work in the
gong su style with its meticulous attention to sculpted robe folds and human anatomy. A younger generation of artists, of which Li Ousheng is a good representative appear to be taking up the
yi su impressionistic styles with some striking results.
American potters in recent decades have shown a strong interest in pottery sculpture and flambe glazes. The time is ripe for American potters to have an encounter with Shiwan pottery.