Tucked away, a trove of treasure
Print Edition
ECHOING the humility of the artists who live there, Jiuqu Art House doesn’t attract much attention from the street.
The museum-style center is nestled among a group of modest farmhouses in Jiuqu Village at the foot of the Sheshan Hill. The drive up to the front gate is unassuming, but once inside, a visitor is struck by the stark contrast to the surrounding community.
Yang Panhong and her husband Dong Ye, both Songjiang locals, opened the art house about two years ago. It’s become a mini-museum for Chinese and Western painting, porcelain, tea arts and Songjiang embroidery.
“We want this to be a place where today’s busy urbanites can find a moment of peace and get recharged,” said Yang.
Each room in the center, decorated in an eclectic but still modern style, speaks to the personalities and styles of the artists who live here.
Clean white walls, glass doors and a minimalistic approach to decor make an already large space seem even bigger. Bookshelves and houseplants are spread throughout the home, and traditional Chinese oil paintings hang on the walls.
The farmhouse, abandoned for more than 30 years, was a muddy mess when Yang and her husband moved in and started renovation in 2014. There was a second makeover this March.
“I’ve added more folk culture and art elements,” said Yang, who quit her job at a Japanese company after 18 years of work and joined her husband in the arts project. “In addition to a porcelain-making center, this is also a museum, an art space and a small teahouse — a place where you can relax and slow down.”
Oddly perhaps, amid so many functions, the house doesn’t feel cluttered or disorganized. When it isn’t raining, windows and doors are kept open, lending an airy feeling to the house. The atmosphere reflects the casual nature of the people who live here, giving visitors the sense of visiting an old friend.
Each room still has a dedicated purpose. There is a studio for ceramics work, a kiosk for tea service, a room for embroidery, space for painting and a dining room and kitchen.
In the front of the property, a small courtyard separates the coffee shop and the main residence. The walls of the coffee shop are cluttered with artwork and photographs belonging to the couple, a simple but honest tribute to the time they’ve spent together. Mismatched chairs and tables along with handmade coffee cups make the space one-of-a-kind, much like the owners.
Upon close observation, a visitor will discover that the tables in the café are made from old sewing machine tables and the chairs date back to the 1980s.
“About 90 percent of the furniture in this house are my own collectables over the years,” said Dong.
With a cup of coffee in hand and a book chosen from the bookshelves, one can idle away a quiet afternoon. Or a visitor can try his hand at ceramics, helped by exchange artists from Jingdezhen in Jiangxi Province, China’s porcelain capital.
Since 2014, quality porcelain products have been fired and produced here. The vases, tea sets and kitchenware have a strong Songjiang style to them.
Jiuqu Village is a protected agricultural area, famed for peaches, grapes and rice.
“I love countryside life,” Yang said. “I grow flowers and vegetables. You see the flowers on the table? I picked them this morning.”
The art house has hosted salons for artists from Singapore and South Korea since March. In addition, it is a meeting place for a Shanghai reading club.
“I hope more people will get to know Songjiang arts and culture,” Yang said. “I hope they will appreciate the idyllic village life, and I also want farmers in this remote village to participate in our center.”
Address: 221 Jiuqu Village at the junction of Shenzhuan and Xinzhai roads, Sheshan Hill Town.
Tel: 138-1652-8822
How to get there: G60 (Huhang Highway) – Xinzhuan Road – Shenzhuan Road
Reserve at least two days in advance. (Closed on Mondays.)
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