China and France, two countries that share a centuries-long bond in ceramics, have enhanced their cooperation and mutual learning in porcelain art and culture over the years, with more and more co-created works standing witness to the growing people-to-people exchanges between the two sides.
For hundreds of years, porcelain traveled over land and by sea along the ancient Silk Road to different parts of the world, acting as a medium to facilitate the cultural and commercial exchange between the East and the West. And as the "porcelain capital of China", Jingdezhen in the eastern province of Jiangxi has been playing a leading role in ceramic art exchanges between China and the rest of the world.
When the global spotlight focused on Paris in the run-up to the grand opening of the 2024 Summer Olympics, the French National Olympic and Sports Committee acquired four exquisite pieces of Chinese blue-and-white porcelain artwork, as a gesture of cultural exchanges between the two countries.
Created by a Chinese calligraphy artist for the Paris Olympics, these pieces draw inspiration from the Olympic motto "Faster, Higher, Stronger - Together" in its French version: "Plus vite, plus haut, plus fort - ensemble".
Using the Jingdezhen blue-and-white porcelain as the canvas, the artist integrated the initials of the French words with Olympic elements, symbolizing sporting events such as butterfly stroke, pole vault and basketball, as well as the Olympic torch.
The world-renowned ceramic artworks and porcelain making craftsmanship of Jingdezhen have also drawn many French artists to China, including Jeremie Thircuir, an exhibition curator from Paris.
Thircuir has long been interested in traditional Chinese culture. Since he arrived in China in 2006, he has begun to organize Chinese art exhibitions with a French perspective.
"Blue-and-white porcelain is an international language. France and China are both cradles of ancient civilizations. This is one of the things in common between them. When I curate an exhibition, I would wonder how to put some contemporary elements into the traditional context and combine them together. Jingdezhen is a wonderful place with many highly skilled craftspeople. I think the city is unique and unparalleled compared to any other city in the world. Everyone is creating here," Thircuir said.
As early as the 18th century, kaolin, a soft white mineral named after the village in China, and porcelain stone was introduced from Jingdezhen to France, playing a key role in the development of the porcelain making industry in France, including its own "porcelain capital" -- Limoges, which is located in the south of the country.
Exchanges in the art of porcelain making between Jingdezhen and Limoges have been strengthened ever since. In 2011, the Jingdezhen Ceramic University (JCU) and Ecole Nationale Superieure d'Art de Limoges jointly established an international ceramic studio, allowing ceramic art students from China and France to co-create artworks.
Among the hundreds of ceramic creations is a set of pillars made of blue and white porcelain, which was jointly created in 2018 by teachers and students of the two schools. Today, one pillar each stands on the street of Limoges and in the campus of the JCU.
In July this year, Darius Renault, a graduate from Ecole Nationale Superieure d'Art de Limoges, came to JCU to participate in the 2024 China Ceramic Art International Summer School and "Ceramic Road" International Ceramic Education Alliance Ceramic Creation Camp.
"When I first started my ceramic studies, my ceramic teacher was the first one to do the partnership with Limoges school and Jingdezhen school. Jingdezhen has a very good reputation in France and Chinese ceramics are very well known in France, too. I discovered here that a lot of French patterns I like in France have been influenced by Chinese ceramics. I mixed building techniques that are French and painting techniques that are Chinese to create work that's coherent with being here in Jingdezhen. This program was very helpful. I'm sure that this exchange will be very rich for both Chinese and French students and is going to be great experiences," he said.
For the past few years, Jingdezhen and Limoges have seen their ceramic bond growing even stronger. Today, the French National Ceramic Museum in Limoges houses many exquisite Chinese porcelains among its collection of thousands of ceramic artworks. And the annual Jingdezhen International Ceramic Expo have featured artworks made in Limoges for years.
Porcelain art exchanges between China, France fosters ever-growing bond
