THE EXPERT COLLECTOR Contemporary Chinese ceramics aesthetic, giving the work a more contemporary feel. Using traditional techniques to produce an exquisite object is, however, a slow process. To paint freehand on a large vessel, you must maintain the force, variation and connection of each line, even though each line is almost the same. It takes time and requires a gradual accumulation of skill, it’s not something you can master in a day or two. On the other hand, some of my recent works require no skill at all. I might suddenly be moved by the velvety texture of a piece of clay which compels me to make it into a piece of art. If I had to be specific, I would say that I am an artist rooted in Asian culture living in the present.
MING’S DYNASTY
Bai Ming is one of China’s leading contemporary ceramicists with pieces on show across the globe. In an exclusive interview with Antique Collecting he describes his work and place in the tradition of Chinese pottery HOW IMPORTANT IS TRADITION IN YOUR WORK? Many museums and artists have asked me: Are you a traditional artist, a contemporary artist, or even an artist of the future? I suppose I am a bit of all three. When you discuss tradition with someone, regardless of where they’re from, you’ll find each person’s understanding of it is in fact very simple and everyone seeks something different from tradition. For me, it’s the same. You’ll see my ceramic works take form in two different ways. On the one hand, they can be very traditional. I might, for example, use entirely traditional language and techniques, but remove some of the more complex details to suit today’s minimalist
22 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
Above Bai Ming (b.1965) Entangling Blue Lines, 30.5cm, 2011 Above right Bai Ming (b.1965) Blue Lines of Released Water Series II (detail), 46cm, 2012 Right Bai Ming (b.1965) An Ode to Soft Lines, 46cm, 2012
WHAT CHANGES TOOK PLACE DURING THE ECONOMIC REFORM? It’s hard for outsiders to comprehend the impact of the reform and the opening-up that took place in the 1980s and 1990s. It was as if all of a sudden we could see the world. We were desperate to understand the world and eager to express it through our art. We also saw how ceramics could be made differently. The most thrilling thing at that time was to learn how it was done and to break away from existing aesthetic modes. The interesting thing about China, however, is that its extraordinary tradition and ceramic culture will always be there. No matter how novel or innovative you are, it will always call you back. At the time, I wrote
