An event is held in Jingdezhen to facilitate communication and integration between ceramic cultures in China and other countries, promote friendship, and strengthen bonds between their peoples.
More than 100 officials, diplomats and artists from all over the world taking part in the art event.
“Mutual Learning · Blending,” the 2022 Jingdezhen “YangJingPiao” Ceramic Art Exhibition & the Dialogue Between Chinese and Foreign Ceramic Artists opened in Hanxi Village, Fuliang County of Jingdezhen City in Jiangxi Province on November 9, 2022. It was jointly hosted by the International Cooperation Department of China Federation of Literary and Art Circles (CFLAC), the Center for Europe and Africa (China Today) under the China International Communications Group (CICG), Jiangxi Provincial Federation of Literary and Art Circles, and the Publicity Department of Jingdezhen Municipal CPC Committee.
Under the theme of reinforcing people-to-people connections and building a cultural bridge for international exchanges on ceramic art, the event is aimed to facilitate communication and integration between ceramic cultures in China and other countries, promote friendship, and strengthen bonds between their peoples. More than 100 officials, diplomats, and artists from all over the world attended the event. Among them were Lu Cairong, vice president of CICG, Dong Zhanshun, director general of the International Cooperation Department of CFLAC, Ye Qing, president of Jiangxi Provincial Federation of Literary and Art Circles, Lü Pinchang, deputy Party secretary and vice president of Jingdezhen Ceramic University, Jiang Minqiang, deputy mayor of Jingdezhen, Abbasali Vafaei, cultural counselor of the Iranian embassy in China, Rachid Elbejjet, counselor of the embassy of Morocco in China, Borjan Zafirovski, commercial councilor of the embassy of North Macedonia in China, and Khattab Sarah Medhat Abdelmoneim, assistant to the cultural counselor of the Egyptian embassy in China.
In his speech delivered to the event, Vice President of CICG Lu Cairong said that since 2012, the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at its core has paid greater attention to cultural progress. The central leadership set forth new requirements and new plans for building China’s cultural confidence and strength in the report to the 20th CPC National Congress. Being the home to a number of renowned ceramic kilns, masterpieces, and artists, Jingdezhen is a pivotal place for the heritage of China’s ceramic art. Today people gather in this city again to review and pay homage to its long history of cultural exchanges, Lu said. CICG is an international communication organization that shoulders the mission of introducing the CPC and China to the rest of the world. It has been committed to promoting mutual learning between civilizations and increasing the international appeal of Chinese culture. Lu compared its function with that of camel caravans and sailing boats in ancient times, which is to open up channels for exchanges of objects and ideas as well as mutual learning between peoples worldwide.
Lu Cairong, vice president of CICG.
Dong Zhanshun, director general of the International Cooperation Department of CFLAC, highlighted the important role ceramic art plays in the global spread of Chinese culture. The gathering of artists from all over the world in Jingdezhen for mutual learning and exchanges echoes the remark, “Civilizations become richer and more colorful through exchanges and mutual learning,” made by President Xi Jinping. The International Cooperation Department of CFLAC has endeavored to create opportunities for exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and foreign artists and to build platforms for foreign artists to better understand China and Chinese culture. He hoped that the foreign artists in Jingdezhen develop their careers here, produce works that will reach all parts of the world, and tell stories of cultural exchanges and mutual learning through their own experience.
Dong Zhanshun, director general of the International Cooperation Department of CFLAC.
Sergey Manasaryan, ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to China, gave a speech via video link. He said that porcelain and ceramic have been cultural symbols of the Chinese nation since ancient times. It was through them that the rest of the world came to know and began to understand China, and China went global. As a key supplier of commodities traded along the ancient maritime Silk Road, Jingdezhen has made indelible contributions to cultural exchanges between the East and West. The ambassador hoped the event would provide a new opportunity to revitalize ceramic art, make it more popular, promote the adoption of new techniques, and advance its innovative development.
Ye Qing, president of Jiangxi Provincial Federation of Literary and Art Circles, also gave a speech. He said that his federation has explored elements of the regional culture of Jiangxi — including ceramic art — and has been active in international cultural exchanges in recent years. With the support of CFLAC and CICG, it organized the 2021 and 2022 “China Today Arts Week,” which included exhibitions on decorative patterns of porcelain from the Qing Dynasty and works by masters of ceramic intangible cultural heritage. These activities have increased the appeal of Jiangxi’s culture abroad.
Ye Qing, president of Jiangxi Provincial Federation of Literary and Art Circles.
According to Deputy Mayor Jiang Minqiang, Jingdezhen has been a city without walls since ancient times, open to artists from various countries who are interested in China’s ceramic culture. They come here to study, work, and live — drawing inspiration from this millennium-old ceramic hub — as well as contributing to the innovative development and spread of ceramic art. A Qing scholar wrote, “Artisans come here from all directions, and their products are sent to all parts of the world.” This scenario has been playing out to date.
Jiang Minqiang, deputy mayor of Jingdezhen.
According to Lü Pinchang, deputy Party secretary and vice president of Jingdezhen Ceramic University, tens of thousands of Jing Piao — literally migrants to Jingdezhen — are chasing their dreams in this city, which is known as an international hub of handicrafts and folk arts. This has made Jingdezhen one of the top four clusters of new arts along with Beijing, Shanghai, and Hengdian (in Zhejiang Province) and an experimental field for new cultures.
Allan Denis Naymark is a Jing Piao from the U.S. Out of interest in Chinese porcelain, he began to learn this art at the age of eight. Naymark was amazed by Jingdezhen when he first visited it in 2013, and moved here in the summer of 2015. He cited the long history of its ceramic sector, the traditional techniques that have been passed on to date, and a complete industrial chain as the city’s main appeal for ceramic artists like him. Naymark runs a studio in Jingdezhen, and plans to create some large-sized works here.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony at the opening of the event was attended by Lu Cairong, Dong Zhanshun, Ye Qing, Lü Pinchang, Jiang Minqiang, Xiong Xiaoxi, Abbasali Vafaei, Rachid Elbejjet, Borjan Zafirovski, Khattab Sarah Medhat Abdelmoneim, and Allan Denis Naymark.
Vice President of CICG Lu Cairong talks with an American artist at the ceramic art exhibition.
This art exhibition and dialogue was jointly organized by Fuliang County CPC Committee, Fuliang government, Jingdezhen Municipal Federation of Literary and Art Circles, and Beijing China Today Cultural Communication Co., Ltd. It received support from the Publicity Department of Fuliang County CPC Committee, Fuliang County Federation of Literary and Art Circles, Jingdezhen Association of New Literary and Art Groups, China Today Jingdezhen Meeting Room, and the International School of Jingdezhen Ceramic University. After the opening ceremony, the attendants visited the ceramic art exhibition and Hanxi Village, which has been dubbed an open-air rural art house. 
