The New Blue

With 1 million inhabitants Jingdezhen is considered a small town by Chinese standards. Nonetheless, it continues to be the Mecca of porcelain art with a global reach and charisma. For 2,000 years now high-quality tableware and objects have been designed, painted and fired here. In March 2017 eight students from HfG supervised by Zack Chen and Prof. Klaus Hesse spent nine days there on a study tour. HfG students produced over 200 porcelain objects in the blue color typical for traditional Chinese porcelain art in the studio of Zack Chen (a teacher at Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute).  

However, the objects differ greatly from the Asian patterns and illustrations familiar to us. The HfG students used the blank plates, dishes, vases and mugs like paper or a sketchbook. They drew stories with ironic detachment or created what were sometimes touching illustrations to suit the form of the objects. Under the title “The New Blue – Porcelain instead of Paper” the objects were presented at the end of this intensive working week in the exhibition gallery of the renowned Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute, where they were very well received. 

Under the title "The New Blue - Porcelain instead of Paper", the results were presented to the public at the end of this intensive working week in the exhibition hall of the renowned "Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute". 

Participants: Felicitas Arndt, Klaus Hesse, Katharina Holl, Victor Koenig, Polly Livshits, Anastasija Loladze, Valentin Oellers, Timon Osche, Felix Werner