Creative Youth Talks
The Song of Clay and Fire in Lingnan Pottery Sculpture
Ceramics have been regarded as a dazzling symbol of Chinese civilization for thousands of years. Among them, the ceramic-plastered roof ridges on ancient Lingnan architecture, also known as "Shiwan Flower Ridges", are high-relief ceramic sculptures serving both waterproofing and decorative purposes. They are not only the spiritual "capping" of the building, but also carry cultural connotations of protecting the home, inheritance, and narration. They are hailed as living fossils of Lingnan architectural art and were listed as a national-level intangible cultural heritage in 2008.
In this episode of "Creative Youth Talk", we delve into the Shiwan pottery sculptures and the stories behind them by He Dazhi, a student of the third "Creativity 100" program. He Dazhi grew up in a Lingnan pottery art family. His father, Mr. He Zhanquan, is an inheritor of the traditional ceramic craftsmanship of Guangdong provincial-level intangible cultural heritage. He founded "Jucheng Pottery House" and adhered to the ancient wood-fired kiln firing technique, successfully establishing a Lingnan pottery art system that integrates architectural art, Cantonese opera characters, and folk culture. His pottery ridge tile works are hailed as the essence of Guangfu culture. His main representative works include Guangzhou Pineapple Temple, Haizhuang Temple, Foshan Ancestral Temple, and Hong Kong Che Kung Temple, setting a banner for the protection and inheritance of traditional Shiwan pottery craftsmanship in Guangdong.
As a member of the "Zhongshan Tao Art Second Generation", He Dazhi was nurtured in pottery art by his father, He Zhanquan, and studied visual arts in Australia, blending modern concepts with tradition. Through experimenting with diverse media, he promotes the lifestyle and trendiness of pottery sculpting skills, breaking through the limitations of architectural decoration. Inspired by the "Creativity 100" project, he pays more attention to the exploration and expression of cultural content, establishing an innovative path centered on "pottery sculpture + fragrance culture + opera characters", injecting new life into traditional craftsmanship.
He Dazhi exhibited three groups of works at the "Creativity 100" presentation exhibition: "Octopus" was co-created by him and his father He Zhanquan, showcasing the classic Lingnan Shiwan pottery charm; "Tukoo Project" and "One of Thousands of Worlds" incorporated contemporary symbols such as trendy toys and sneakers into pottery, presenting trendy culture with traditional techniques, endowing pottery sculptures with new vitality and emotional expression.
