Hi everyone,

Here are a few more photos of me and my work in Fuping.

I continued working with the tree theme throughout the Fuping Residency and managed to complete seven pieces in total. The basic tree forms were press-moulded in forms I made from trees or stumps that had been cut down on site at the Fuping Pottery Art Village. I embedded both organic and ornamental motifs in the walls of the ceramic trees. The ornamental motifs were taken from factory moulds, and I made clay bisque moulds from materials I collected on site, such as branches and cobs of corn. By embedding the motifs into the trees’ walls, I created a fossil-like appearance that was enhanced by rubbing black copper oxide into the surface. The trees’ surfaces were further embellished with branch, rope, corn, wave, dragon scale, and other ornamental motifs inspired by the tile factory and our surroundings there. My ceramic trees were finished with terra sigillata (which I managed to make using Jingdezhen porcelain and the beautiful red terra cotta which was one of the factory clays). In addition I used a cream-coloured vitreous slip and bronze glaze, also both formulated using Jingdezhen porcelain, which were applied before once-firing the pieces. I experimented with using nearly all of the factory clays made available to us, and the cut cross section of each tree was left unglazed to expose the natural colour of the clay body.

Grace working in the Fuping Pottery Art Village Workshop, October 2007 (press moulding in a tile factory dragon mould, glazing for once-firing)

The cut has become a critical element of the trees I am gathering and transforming into clay. The trees stand as memorials. The cuts are resonant of loss and absence, and the embedded motifs testify to the tree’s history, both its organic and cultural past. With the trees I made in China, there is a connection made not only to the tree’s former biological life, but also to the ceramic history of China. The tile factory in Fuping specializes in making roof tiles, including decorative architectural tiles that are traditional in style. One example is the dragon motif, a symbol of power that historically was reserved exclusively for Imperial Chinese architecture. The dragon motif is one I employed while working at the Fuping Pottery Art Village and other traditional Chinese ornamentation was applied to the surface of my trees, including the wave pattern.

From Fuping Tree Group #1 and Fuping Tree Group #2 – with corn and rope motifs, China, 2007

In addition to the organic and ornamental embellishment already described, a type of new textual “bark” gradually built up on the surface of my ceramic trees. Using my own handwriting, the same words were repeated over and over again, until eventually the text was rendered illegible and became textural. Words such as devastated or the Latin, devastatus, and also remembered and rememorari were built up layer upon layer, until they began to create a suggestion of renewed growth. The final result had a lace-like appearance, reminiscent of the lacebark trees I saw in the Forbidden City in Beijing. The proliferation of this protective calligraphic bark over the tree’s surface began to hint at the potential for regeneration and recovery.

Fuping Uprooted Tree #1 – with dragon scales and corn motifs, China,

I am continuing to make ceramic trees at NSCAD in Halifax and plan to create a small forest for my MFA exhibition. I would like to take this opportunity to thank NSCAD for granting me a leave of absence from my busy MFA schedule and for supporting my participation in this significant cross-cultural event.

Best wishes to all, Grace

Fuping Uprooted Tree #2 with dragon scales and wave motifs, China, 2007

Fuping Commemorative Tree, China, 2007

As a “living museum” project, the idea is for other Canadian ceramic artists to travel to Fuping in the future to participate in the residency and create additional works for the Canadian Museum. In this way, the artistic and cultural exchange between east and west remains active and the museum remains dynamic. Since we were the first group of artists from Canada to participate in the residency, having established the charter collection of Canadian works, the ten of us are now considered to be official “citizens” of FLICAM and are welcome to return to Fuping anytime we wish.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the FLICAM organizers and all the people in Fuping who made it possible for us to focus all of our time and attention on our work, and helped us bring it to fruition. This includes Dr I-Chi Hsu, Chairman Xu Dufeng, General Manager and Curator of FLICAM Fu Qiang, Brother Xu, all the assistants working at the factory, all the interpreters, and all the hotel and residency staff. We could not have done it without you! Hope to see you all again.

I would also like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our Canadian organizer Les Manning, ceramic artist and Director of the Medalta International Artists in Residence Program in Medicine Hat, Alberta, who did an excellent job of putting the Canadian contingent together and spent countless hours looking after all the details required to organize our participation in the residency in China. Les was unflagging in his encouragement and support throughout the whole process. The FLICAM organizers said “the Canadians set the example.” I would like to thank all the other Canadian artists and international artists, whose professionalism, expertise, hard work, and overall good nature and humour helped to make it a very special experience.

I am sincerely grateful for the support I received from the Canada Council for the Arts in the form of a travel grant, which made my participation in this important cultural and artistic exchange possible.

With sincere thanks to all, Grace

Sally Michener, Vancouver, B.C. – works being assembled in the studio (photo by G. Nickel); works installed in the Canadian Museum (photo by A. Mortimer)

Susan Collett, Toronto, Ontario – finished work photographed in the tile yard (photos by S. Collett)

Jim Thomson, Ottawa, Ontario – work installed in Canadian Museum; installation view of works in the Canadian Museum (photos by J. Thomson)

Katrina Chaytor, Calgary, Alberta – work in Canadian Museum with her poster in the background; work installed in the Canadian Museum (photos by S. Collett)

Ann Roberts, Waterloo, Ontario – with her works in the Canadian Museum; work installed in Canadian Museum (photos courtesy of FLICAM)

Ann Mortimer, Newmarket, Ontario – works being transported to the Canadian Museum (photo by S. Collett); work installed in Canadian Museum (photo courtesy of FLICAM)

Gilbert Poissant, Mont Saint-Hilaire, Quebec – work installed in Canadian Museum (photos courtesy of FLICAM)

Les Manning, Medicine Hat, Alberta – work installed in Canadian Museum (photos by G. Nickel)

Charley Farrero, Meacham, Saskatchewan – work installed in Canadian Museum (photos by G. Nickel)

I’m posting some photos of the opening of the Canadian Museum which took place on Tuesday, November 6, 2007. It was a spectacular event and all of the Canadian artists managed to successfully complete a body of work and install it in time for the opening. We were all somewhat exhausted by the time the opening happened, but also thrilled to have been part of this immense project. The Canadian Museum is part of the original North American Museum, housing the USA Museum and the Canadian Museum. And recently the decision was made to add the South and Central American Museum on to the back of ours, resulting in one very long structure. But fortunately each museum has its own entrance, and the Canadian Museum comprises one third of the space. On the same day our museum opened, there was an exhibition of work by the four Mexican artists who worked concurrently with us, another by two German artists, and the inauguration of the new International Ceramic Editors Magazine Information Centre.

A future posting will include photos of the other international museums that have been completed as part of the FLICAM (FuLe International Ceramic Art Museums) project and examples of artists’ work in these museums. It is very interesting to compare the different approaches, sensibilities, and aesthetics of ceramic artists from the various countries. Another four to five museums will be built over the next three years, including the Northern European, Southern European, African, South and Central America. The scope of this project is enormous with plans for a ceramic university, a ceramic cultural park, an extensive residence complex, a master’s studio and residence with a swimming pool, and on and on. It’s been an amazing honour to be part of this huge vision and significant cultural exchange.

I have included some photos of my work, installed in the Canadian Museum. The lighting in the museum is low, so the work is difficult to photograph in situ. A future posting will provide more images of the work I completed at the Fuping Pottery Art Village, with photos of the work in progress and more images of the finished works, including close up details.

I hope this finds you all well. I want to thank you all for your kind words of support and encouragement. You have no idea how important they were in times of extreme challenge and stress. Thanks for believing in me.

With sincere gratitude, Grace

Another week has flown by as we have continued to work in the studio, but have also taken time out to do some short site-seeing trips. The first was to Xi’an to see the famous Terra Cotta Warriors of the Qin Dynasty. It was incredible! Then we went to the Shaanxi Historical Museum in Xi’an, where the whole history of Shaanxi Province was told through the development of vessel making in ceramics and bronze. Fabulous! Our second day away from the factory took us up into the mountains to a pottery village called Chenlu, famous for its celadon ceramics and its black and white ware. The landscape in the mountains was spectacular and we soon forgot about the dubious air quality we had left behind in Fuping. It’s only the populated areas that are heavily polluted — makes sense of course, but it was great to breathe some fresh, clean air for a day.

Then, last weekend, four of us had the chance to travel to Jingdezhen, the porcelain capital of the world. In Jingdezhen, everything is centred around ceramics — all the lamp posts are made of porcelain, there are shops selling only kiln shelves, shops selling only glazes, shops selling only ceramic decals, and there are numerous ceramic markets to visit, with row upon row of antique and new pottery for sale. Needless to say, I had to do a bit of shopping. There was a large ceramic festival on when we were there and this involved all sorts of special exhibitions, celebrations, ceremonies, dinners, breakfasts, speeches, and more.

We all hopped on a bus to go to Kaolin Mountain one day (kaolin is the main ingredient of porcelain), and we were greeted with drums and cymbals at a small mountain village where the future home of the World Ceramic Centre lies. This is an ambitious project envisioned by Jackson Li, founder of the Sanbao Artist Residency, located in the mountains outside Jingdezhen — a beautifully rustic facility with studios, guest rooms, a gallery, a restaurant (with an excellent cook!), and a shop where artists can go to work for extended periods of time. We also visited the Pottery Workshop situated in a sculpture factory in Jingdezhen. This facility was recently established by Caroline Cheng, who owns other workshops and galleries in Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Beijing. This is a beautiful facility with studios, rooms, a gallery, a production studio, and two coffee shops!

It was wonderful to get out to see some of what China has to offer. It is a fascinating country and each province and each city has its own long history, often told through its ceramics. Each place comes with its own special traditions, food and customs to discover. But now we’re all back hard at work at the factory as we careen toward the deadline, which is now nearly upon us. The Canadian Museum is scheduled to open on November 6th.

Until later, Grace

Susan Collett, Toronto, Ontario, and Katrina Chaytor, Calgary, Alberta

Jim Thomson, Ottawa, Ontario, and Charley Farrero, Meacham, Saskatchewan

Les Manning, Medicine Hat, Alberta, and Sally Michener, Vancouver, British Columbia

Ann Mortimer, Toronto, Ontario, and Ann Roberts, Waterloo, Ontario

Gilbert Poissant, Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Quebec

Our interpreters, Guo Wei and Wong, Fuping, China

We continue to work hard to meet our deadline. Every day begins at 6:30 a.m., with breakfast being served at 8:00 a.m. sharp. After breakfast we work until noon, have lunch and then go back to work until 7:00 p.m., when dinner is served (don’t be late!). Then most of us go back to work after dinner to work until 10:00 p.m. or later (much later no doubt as the opening of the museum comes nearer!). It’s a pretty intense routine, but necessary. Everyone’s work is going well, as we all aim to complete the construction of work within the next week to allow time for drying and firing.

Two of the Canadian artists have been away in Xi’an for two days, one of them to work in a studio that creates replicas of the terra cotta warriors found in the tomb of Emperor Qin (about 50 km from Fuping). Also, while we are here, there are two artists working to make work for the French Ceramic Museum and three days ago, four artists from Mexico arrived. I think they were even more surprised than we were to find the cold, rainy weather we’ve been experiencing. Yesterday Susan and I went to Fuping to purchase winter clothes — down vest and jacket — can you believe it? The rain stopped this afternoon and the weather is supposed to change for the better. That will also be of great benefit for the quick drying of our clay work.

I’ll keep you posted on our progress. I continue to pursue the tree theme I began to investigate at NSCAD last year. I plan to complete at least four trees while I’m here, hoping that at least three of these will survive and be installed permanently in the Canadian Museum at the Fuping Pottery Art Village.

Best, Grace

We are greeted every morning, in large red numbers, with a reminder of how many days are left until the opening of the Canadian Museum on November 5th. We are working hard and are being inspired by the presence of this well-intentioned encouragement. The factory workers continue to be of great assistance, and as we are working in the studio which is attached to the factory, with one of the endlessly long tunnel kilns sitting just outside my door (I counted at least 100 burners, but gave up before I finished), this truly is a merging of art and industry. Although the factory is huge, we are surprised at how much hand work is still involved in creating the roof tile — every single tile, of thousands made each day, is cleaned up by women who sit on small stools in the factory and work very fast, with great agility, refining each piece.

We all gasped this morning when three carts of huge extruded clay cylinders were wheeled into the studio by ten men. This is “extrusion heaven”. We’ve discovered at least three massive extruders that make tiles, bricks, decorative cornices, forms for openwork ceramic screens, etc.

Until later, hope this finds all well.

Grace

Hello to everyone.

It’s hard to believe that it’s one week since I left Halifax for my journey to China. I arrived in Beijing safely on October 1st and after spending two days in Beijing, visiting the Forbidden City, running through the hip new 798 art district in the Dashanzi area, and climbing the Great Wall of China (good thing I’ve been living in Halifax and climbing all those hills!), we flew to Xi’an, and then were transported by bus to Fuping.

The Fuping Pottery Village is a fabulous place with a huge tile factory, a large orchard, a hotel, artist residences and a growing number of new ceramic museums, each one designed after some aspect of the landscape here in Shaanxi Province, or after an ancient kiln or tomb design. The museums are spectacular with unique architecture and each one displaying an innovative use of the tiles made right here on site at the massive tile factory. We have full access to the all the facilities in the factory and all the technical help we want. It’s quite luxurious, but with only 29 days left before the Canadian Ceramic Museum opens, we need all the help we can get! All the materials are new to us and it’s going to be a steep learning curve. But we are a hard working group and are all experienced professionals. Still it’s going to be a challenge!

We are managing to have some fun too. Tonight we celebrated Thanksgiving Chinese style, with roasted duck and even some stuffing (an interesting version with anise). But we will be working in the studio every day with a few exceptions when we will travel to nearby sites such as Xi’an to see the Terra Cotta Army which consists of over 8000 life-sized soldiers and horses.

Wishing everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving and a great long weekend.

Cheers from China, Grace

I’ll be arriving in Beijing on October 1, meeting up with the Canadian contingent of artists who have been invited to make work for the new North American Ceramic Museum in Fuping, near Xi’an. This is one of eight new international ceramic museums being built in preparation for the Olympics. Each country is being asked to select ten ceramic artists to work as artists in residence for a one-month period at the Fuping Pottery Village. At the end of the residency, we are invited to stay for the inaugural opening of the museum, where our work will be permanently displayed as part of the charter collection.

Please watch for further postings as things progress.