Exhibition merges traditional and modern development of classic craftsmanship

The "2023 Academic Nomination Exhibition of the Symposium for Contemporary Arts and Crafts" is showing at the National Exhibition and Convention Center through December 18.

Co-organized by the Shanghai Art and Design Academy, Chinese Arts and Crafts Society, and Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University, the exhibition is one of the projects of the China National Arts Fund.

The exhibition received 592 works from candidates from China, the United States, South Korea, and Japan. After selection by the organizing committee and related experts, 287 works, varying from ceramic art, metal art, glass art, fiber art, and sculpture to lacquer art, and jewelry, are on display.

According to the organizer, the exhibition aims to present outstanding contemporary arts and crafts works in terms of inheritance and innovation, conveying different research directions, as well as the revitalization of the use of new concepts and materials.

Hang Jian, vice president of the Chinese Arts and Crafts Society said: "It is a complex issue especially considering the traditional part and the modern development of traditional craftsmanship, which faces several generations of Chinese crafts people. We hope that more people involved in this area will learn about the outcome of the exhibition, so that we can promote the combination of Chinese traditional crafts with modern life."

One of the highlights is a ceramic piece titled "Memory of the Years," that reflects handmade traces. The work features pebbles with rich variations of high-temperature color glaze that form a picture of "high mountains and flowing water," revealing an oriental atmosphere.

The work was installed as a ceramic mural. The artist frees it from the function of decorating a specific building, and explores the possibilities of its own artistic expression.

Another impressive piece is "The Minimalist Illusions Series," which applies more than 10 kinds of traditional embroidery stitches to form geometrical shapes with strong visual effects. Based on the new aesthetics of the contemporary art, the expressive forms of this piece are quite different from those of traditional embroidery. Obviously, the embroidery intends to "dig" the possibilities of the transformation of the traditional embroidery from tradition to contemporary.

Exhibit Info

Date: Through December 18, 10am-5pm

Venue: 4.2 Hall National Exhibition and Convention Center

Address: 333 Songze Ave.

崧泽大道333号