Liu Yuanchang

CHINA, Jiangxi, Ji’an

Liu Yuanchang is a ceramicist who graduated with a major in ceramic art from the Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute in Jiangxi. He is well-known for his work in the Ceramic Sculpture Factory of Jingdezhen City. The subjects of Liu’s ceramic works emphasize daily life and pursue an unadorned natural style with the use of a variety of techniques including sculpting, carving, pinching, and engraving. He was awarded the honor of Master of Chinese Arts and Crafts in 1996.
Liu’s diverse collection of ceramic works span a broad spectrum of styles ranging from ancient to modern, as well as from Buddhist and Daoist figures to mythological animals. Each of his pieces, which exhibit characteristics of meticulous composition and refined skills, are created on a succinct foundation of traditional methods blended with contemporary art theory.
In particular, Liu’s Buddhist sculptures are devised and created from new and creative ideas. The theme of his magnificent piece entitled Apsaras Scattering Flowers, which won the first place in the Jingdezhen Ceramic Art Competition, was adapted from a Dunhuang mural of a graceful heavenly being. The piece is currently kept in the exhibition hall of the Jingdezhen Ceramics Company in Jiangxi.
Other works by Liu include glazed white porcelain Statuette of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, kept at the Jingdezhen Ceramics Company in Jiangxi; Fisherman, at the National Art Museum of China in Beijing; and Bathing, at the National Library of China in Beijing.