Openness and diversity

The participation of Japanese artist Eiko Kishi shows the openness of the ceramic world to women, as well as to those who launch their career at a stage normally considered rather late in life — Kishi became an artist when she was 40.

Her style has been influenced by the patterns and textures of time-honored Cizhou ware, production of which boomed in northern China primarily during the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries. She also conducts research into the pottery making techniques of the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

The primitive beauty and grace of these antique pieces have inspired her to come up with a distinctive working method. Her ceramics are made from a mixture of different types of clay and pigments that creates a subtle radiance, like that of precious stones, and results in a texture like that of knitted fabrics.

Bai, who is also curator of the exhibition, says that when people today explore deeper into the world of ceramics, they will inevitably find different, even strange aspects of ceramics to think about.

"Here, artworks from around the world present diverse perspectives, through ceramics, of similarities and differences, and the origins and trends of development, in the East and the West," he says.