China's historic porcelain capital becomes a global crossroads

NANCHANG — Tracing a creative arc from socarrat, an ancient Arab ceramic-making technique flourishing in Valencia, Spain, to Jingdezhen's classic Chinese techniques, Spanish artist Xavier Monsalvatje is reinterpreting centuries-old craftsmanship through a contemporary lens.

"In almost all my projects, I've wanted to use traditional ceramic techniques and bring them into a more contemporary discourse," says Monsalvatje. The artist's cobalt-blue artwork has become a standout attraction at the ongoing International Academy of Ceramics Member Exhibition in Jingdezhen, China's renowned "porcelain capital".

The city in East China's Jiangxi province recently gained further recognition when UNESCO inscribed the Jingdezhen Handicraft Porcelain Industry Sites on the World Heritage List on July 25, bringing China's total number of World Heritage sites to 61.

For more than a millennium, Jingdezhen porcelain traveled across Asia, Africa and Europe. Today, that enduring legacy continues to attract more than 5,000 ceramic artists and enthusiasts from around the world during peak seasons.

The city has become a creative laboratory for ceramic artists worldwide. American artist Michael May uses 3D printing to produce ceramic works, taking advantage of Jingdezhen's advanced equipment and technical expertise. Fellow American Matt Watterson incorporates ancient ceramic fragments from the city into his own creations.

Russian-British artist Svetlana K-Liee also says her work evolved over three years in Jingdezhen, where she kept trying new techniques such as wood kilns and combining glass with ceramics.

Another Spanish artist, Jaume Ribalta, opened his own studio in Jingdezhen, where he explored fusing his native Barcelona's black-and-white ceramic motifs with the city's time-honored techniques.

The city's highly specialized production system impressed him from the start. "Yet, the real value here lies in the openness — every stage of the craft is accessible to outsiders," Ribalta says.

Oriol Calvo Verges, president of the IAC, believes Jingdezhen offers a rare balance between preserving tradition and encouraging artistic innovation.

"Here, inheritance is visible everywhere: in the kilns, in the workshops, in the hands of craftspeople, in museums, in historic sites, in porcelain itself. But innovation is also present everywhere: in universities, research centers, contemporary exhibitions, residencies, new creative districts and international projects," he says.

Spanish artist Anca Ion is also pushing the boundaries of traditional ceramics in Jingdezhen. By experimenting with the fusion of ceramics and glass at high temperatures, she hopes to create entirely new forms of ceramic art.

Jingdezhen is more than a porcelain production hub; it is also a melting pot where diverse cultures converge and interweave, says Bai Guanghua, associate researcher with the Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Institute.

The city is home to more than 3,200 inheritors of intangible cultural heritage in ceramic craftsmanship. It is also part of UNESCO's Creative Cities Network as a Creative City of Crafts and Folk Arts.

In recent decades, China has shown that ceramics are far more than a cultural legacy to preserve. They have become a powerful driver of urban renewal, education, tourism, innovation, artistic creation and international dialogue, Verges says.

Ribalta has settled in Jingdezhen. "I have always dreamed of coming to Jingdezhen. As an artist, I expect myself to continue to grow in my artistic career," he says.

"Now, I am exploring the origin of those blue-and-white porcelains that once crossed the ocean to my hometown.

"Jingdezhen is not only part of Chinese history but also world history. And now, it is my home."

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