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Real Chinese luxury is understated
By Wang Jie |
July 22, 2013, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
FOR glassmaker Wang Qin, Oriental luxury does not glitter and it bears no cliched "Chinese elements" such as lotus, bamboo and Buddhas.
"These elements or symbols of China have already become a cliché after thousands of repetitions," he says. "I wanted to dig out something indescribable that perfectly reflects the beauty of ancient Chinese culture."
"Implications of the Oriental spirit" is an expression often used by the Shanghai-based artist.
Wang's works are of stunning simplicity and drama. He says they have a Zen quality.
Unlike other artists who work in glistening, transparent glass, Wang prefers to use opaque black, gray and milky white, reminiscent of traditional Chinese ink-wash paintings.
A shallow white bowl on a pedestal is shaped with four rounded, petal-like sides. A dramatic vase of irregular, transparent glass is made with a floating inner design that appears to be black ink crosses or strokes reminiscent of Chinese characters. Sometimes "accidental" milky fragments float inside gray glass.
His brand is Qin (沁) and this year Wang has created around six objects and utensils from a traditional Chinese scholar's studio, including paintbrush pots, paperweights and pen rests.
"This first series is inspired by the ancient Chinese literati's passion toward rocks, such as Taihu rock from Taihu Lake in Jiangsu Province." The stone is famous for unusual shapes and it is often placed in gardens; smaller rocks may be placed on pedestals for contemplation.
"The shape and nuance of hues in the works are profound with a Zen touch," he says. "In my eyes, this is Chinese luxury. It involves continuously experimenting with shape and color, polishing and firing. All this is pure hand labor and I enjoy the whole process."
Wang was born in 1972 in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi Province, a famous "cradle" of Chinese ceramics. At first he followed in his predecessors' footsteps and majored in ceramics.
But when he visited an international glass art exhibition at Shanghai Art Museum in 2003, he fell in love with glass and changed direction.
"The work of top glass artists around the world totally changed my stereotyped concepts of glass," Wang says. "Glass used to seem cold and distant, unlike ceramics that were mild and warm."
Those works reflected a Western aesthetic, and Wang decided he wanted to make glass art reflecting the Oriental spirit.
He then studied in the glass art department of the Academy of Fine Arts at Shanghai University.
"The techniques in creating ceramics and glass works are quite similar since both must be fired," Wang says. "But the procedure for glasswork is more complicated and requires polishing."
As with making ceramics, there are unpredictable "accidents of color" - sometimes very beautiful - that occur in making glass.
"A glass artist must be very much aware of all experimental and analytical data, but at the next moment there can be excitement because you encounter unexpected colors and textures," the artist says.
He absorbs as much as possible from books and other materials. "In the first stages, I spend a lot of time pondering how to transform my ideas into glass," he says.
Since he studied ceramics, he knows how to curve and shape the glass.
"Colleagues and friends say my glass work has a surprising, calming power that transports them into a world of Zen," he says.
Is it possible that Qing will become a new Chinese luxury brand?
That's not Wang's aim and he doesn't give it much thought. He is focused on his second series, inspired by guqin, a traditional plucked, zither-like instrument favored by Chinese scholars. It is known for its calming, ethereal music.
"Now my mind is filled with thoughts of guqin and its melody," Wang says.
China's world of luxury
Today we launch an occasional series on luxury in China, exploring its varieties and meanings past and present.
Everywhere urbanites seem to be craving and striving for luxury, especially conspicuous luxury that demonstrates wealth, elite status, taste and singularity.
For many people, luxury is about very obviously expensive, imported brands of fashion, handbags, shoes, jewelry, watches, automobiles, houses, vacation destinations, costly cuisine and so on.
One dictionary describes "luxury" as: 1) the state of great comfort and extravagant living; 2) an inessential, desirable item that is expensive or difficult to obtain.
Real Chinese luxury can be much more subtle, simple and understated.
In the novel "A Dream of Red Mansions" in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) by Cao Xueqin, Miaoyu makes tea for friends with water "accumulated from mountain snow five years ago that was placed in a jar and buried in the earth so the water eventually complemented the aroma of tea."
Western equivalent
In the West, Lalique glass represents quality, status and luxury.
The glass was invented by a French man named Rene Jules Lalique (1860-1945) in the early 20th century. Lalique was known for his creations of glass art, perfume bottles, vases and jewellery. He started a glassware firm, named after him, which still remains successful.
Lalique glass makes use of influential Art Deco images such as female figures and faces. These also come in intricately shaped bowls, vases and bottles.
"These elements or symbols of China have already become a cliché after thousands of repetitions," he says. "I wanted to dig out something indescribable that perfectly reflects the beauty of ancient Chinese culture."
"Implications of the Oriental spirit" is an expression often used by the Shanghai-based artist.
Wang's works are of stunning simplicity and drama. He says they have a Zen quality.
Unlike other artists who work in glistening, transparent glass, Wang prefers to use opaque black, gray and milky white, reminiscent of traditional Chinese ink-wash paintings.
A shallow white bowl on a pedestal is shaped with four rounded, petal-like sides. A dramatic vase of irregular, transparent glass is made with a floating inner design that appears to be black ink crosses or strokes reminiscent of Chinese characters. Sometimes "accidental" milky fragments float inside gray glass.
His brand is Qin (沁) and this year Wang has created around six objects and utensils from a traditional Chinese scholar's studio, including paintbrush pots, paperweights and pen rests.
"This first series is inspired by the ancient Chinese literati's passion toward rocks, such as Taihu rock from Taihu Lake in Jiangsu Province." The stone is famous for unusual shapes and it is often placed in gardens; smaller rocks may be placed on pedestals for contemplation.
"The shape and nuance of hues in the works are profound with a Zen touch," he says. "In my eyes, this is Chinese luxury. It involves continuously experimenting with shape and color, polishing and firing. All this is pure hand labor and I enjoy the whole process."
Wang was born in 1972 in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi Province, a famous "cradle" of Chinese ceramics. At first he followed in his predecessors' footsteps and majored in ceramics.
But when he visited an international glass art exhibition at Shanghai Art Museum in 2003, he fell in love with glass and changed direction.
"The work of top glass artists around the world totally changed my stereotyped concepts of glass," Wang says. "Glass used to seem cold and distant, unlike ceramics that were mild and warm."
Those works reflected a Western aesthetic, and Wang decided he wanted to make glass art reflecting the Oriental spirit.
He then studied in the glass art department of the Academy of Fine Arts at Shanghai University.
"The techniques in creating ceramics and glass works are quite similar since both must be fired," Wang says. "But the procedure for glasswork is more complicated and requires polishing."
As with making ceramics, there are unpredictable "accidents of color" - sometimes very beautiful - that occur in making glass.
"A glass artist must be very much aware of all experimental and analytical data, but at the next moment there can be excitement because you encounter unexpected colors and textures," the artist says.
He absorbs as much as possible from books and other materials. "In the first stages, I spend a lot of time pondering how to transform my ideas into glass," he says.
Since he studied ceramics, he knows how to curve and shape the glass.
"Colleagues and friends say my glass work has a surprising, calming power that transports them into a world of Zen," he says.
Is it possible that Qing will become a new Chinese luxury brand?
That's not Wang's aim and he doesn't give it much thought. He is focused on his second series, inspired by guqin, a traditional plucked, zither-like instrument favored by Chinese scholars. It is known for its calming, ethereal music.
"Now my mind is filled with thoughts of guqin and its melody," Wang says.
China's world of luxury
Today we launch an occasional series on luxury in China, exploring its varieties and meanings past and present.
Everywhere urbanites seem to be craving and striving for luxury, especially conspicuous luxury that demonstrates wealth, elite status, taste and singularity.
For many people, luxury is about very obviously expensive, imported brands of fashion, handbags, shoes, jewelry, watches, automobiles, houses, vacation destinations, costly cuisine and so on.
One dictionary describes "luxury" as: 1) the state of great comfort and extravagant living; 2) an inessential, desirable item that is expensive or difficult to obtain.
Real Chinese luxury can be much more subtle, simple and understated.
In the novel "A Dream of Red Mansions" in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) by Cao Xueqin, Miaoyu makes tea for friends with water "accumulated from mountain snow five years ago that was placed in a jar and buried in the earth so the water eventually complemented the aroma of tea."
Western equivalent
In the West, Lalique glass represents quality, status and luxury.
The glass was invented by a French man named Rene Jules Lalique (1860-1945) in the early 20th century. Lalique was known for his creations of glass art, perfume bottles, vases and jewellery. He started a glassware firm, named after him, which still remains successful.
Lalique glass makes use of influential Art Deco images such as female figures and faces. These also come in intricately shaped bowls, vases and bottles.
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