Collaborate to create more exquisite purple sand products, and invite renowned Yixing artists to hold exhibitions in Shencheng
The "Wanxiang Clear - Gong Zhan Haipai Sculpture Exhibition" currently being held in the Customs Building and Qiancai Bookstore of Jing'an District Library has attracted two special audiences - Guo Jicheng and She Rongfen. The exhibition "Authentic and Clear Source - Guo Jicheng and She Rongfen Handmade Huanglongshan Original Mine Purple Sandware" by these two famous Yixing purple sand masters is currently being held in Duoyunxuan. Taking this opportunity to watch the "Gongzhan Haipai Sculpture Exhibition", two famous artists from Yixing expressed their hope to discuss with Haipai masters how to create more exquisite purple clay.
On site of the "Clear Everything - Gong Zhan Haipai Sculpture Exhibition"
The purple clay teapot is made by firing the unique purple clay from Yixing. At least during the Ming Zhengde period, skilled craftsmen began using purple clay to make pots. In the world of purple clay collection, when it comes to the purple clay pots of Guo Jicheng and She Rongfen, collectors not only admire their exquisite craftsmanship, but also admire their raw materials of purple clay. In the early 1980s, Guo Jicheng and She Rongfen began making purple clay teapots. At that time, the price of purple clay teapots had not yet risen, and many young people were restless to deal with mud all day long. However, the two of them were obsessed with purple clay art and plunged into it.
At that time, Gu Jingzhou loved to use Huanglongshan No. 4 well mud to make purple clay pots. The color of the raw ore slurry may not be outstanding, but due to the natural gravel contained in the raw ore, the tea color will seep out through the gravel after being brewed for a long time, making the purple clay pot more warm and moist in color. In the late 1990s, by chance, Guo Jicheng heard that a local mine that collected ore from the Huanglongshan No. 4 mine was mainly selling out the ore in his hands. He devoted himself to eating all the ore in his hands, a decision that required courage for a purple clay artist at that time.
Among the mud materials used by Guo Jicheng, there are more than 20 types of original ore mud materials from Huanglongshan No. 4 and No. 5 mines, all of which are displayed in the exhibition at Duoyunxuan. In recent years, several Shanghai calligraphy and painting artists have collaborated with Guo Jicheng and She Rongfen to create literati purple clay. Based on different shapes, clay materials, and colors, they have chosen forms such as landscape painting, flowers and birds, and calligraphy to express themselves. For example, Yang Zhengxin combines traditional Chinese painting imagery with the composition techniques of Western modern art with distinctive and bold lines, endowing purple clay works with more subjective emotions and a stronger contemporary style; Lao Jixiong and Le Zhenwen often focus on the poetry of ancient people, creating an elegant, delicate, and rustic charm for viewers. These collaborative masterpieces can also be seen in exhibitions.
The exhibition "Authentic and Clear Source - Guo Jicheng and She Rongfen Handmade Huanglongshan Original Mine Purple Sandware" was held at Duoyunxuan
The purple clay teapot seal not only embodies the traditional cultural connotations of calligraphy and carving art, but also reflects the author's interest and cultivation, and has practical decorative charm of purple clay. Printing is not only a symbol of pot art, but also an expression of the aesthetic taste of purple clay artists. Guo Jicheng often uses printing, which is mostly controlled by Chen Hui, a seal engraver of the Shanghai style. Guo Jicheng and She Rongfen stated that the theme of the exhibition is to bring out the original form of "OEM teapots" and "chemical teapots". They hope to further cooperate with Shanghai style masters and use the integrated perspective of the Yangtze River Delta to make more high-quality purple clay products known to the audience.
