Ahead of the curve: new china from China

 

This excellent exhibition at the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery showcases contemporary ceramics and glass from Chinese artists. I particularly liked Zhang Jingjing’s ‘Spring up series’ (seen on the cover of the catalogue) which are inspired by the curves of moving water and reminded me of Mobius strips. Shelley Xue’s glass angels wings as part of the ‘Gather series’ were also enchanting (seen on the back wall in the image of the exhibition). Wang Qin’s minimalist glass gardens invited contemplation as befits their Buddhist inspiration. Wang Liya’s ceramic pieces cleverly linked the traditional and the contemporary. He uses traditional decoration on ceramic forms representing modern cleaning and beauty products in one series, and in another piece re-thinks traditional blue and white landscape painting on plates by using 27 plates joined together as one canvas. Peng Zanbin’s ‘Updated antiquities’ are also decorated with landscapes, this time, abstract ones, to make beautiful pieces that also link the traditional and the contemporary. These are just my first impressions. It was a fascinating exhibition which I’ll revisit – I’ve also bought the catalogue to find out more about it all!