World-renowned. Asia-Pacific Volume 2

Author: Bai Ming
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2005-01-03
Features: This book differs significantly from my previous works:
1. Before submitting the manuscript, I deleted an article on Chinese and foreign ceramic art research, nearly 20,000 words long. What I had to say had already been covered in several of my other books and articles. Upon review, these statements, though varied, seemed to delve deeper, yet they were essentially "old wine in new bottles" with little novelty. There was no justification for occupying readers' valuable time. As a member of the ceramic art community, my emotional perspective likely led to biased views. In the context of Chinese higher education and contemporary art, where issues of concept and technique, tradition and modernity, theory and practice, and national and international identity are endlessly debated, it was even more unnecessary to elaborate on them. Thus, apart from a short preface and afterword, as the author, no introductions written by me appear in the book. I wanted the outstanding works of ceramic artists from around the world to be the most important narrative subject, supporting the academic value of ceramic art itself and minimizing the author's influence.
2. The book's substantial eight-volume size features 112 internationally renowned ceramic artists, most of whom are members of the International Ceramic Association of UNESCO. Many of them are celebrated in the global ceramic community, and several are masters whose works cannot be overlooked in the history of modern ceramic art. Most of the artists included have provided images and descriptions of their creative processes, which was also one of the most challenging and most labor-intensive parts of the solicitation and production process. Those in the industry know how difficult and unimaginable it is to ask so many influential artists to provide their creative processes within a relatively short timeframe. Fortunately and proudly, ceramic artists from around the world, with their understanding, support, and selfless cooperation, have made this book possible, showcasing these magical and uniquely charming creative processes. This allows the world to explore the diverse techniques and materials used by ceramic artists from different countries, giving the book invaluable documentary and educational value as a textbook on techniques and methods. This is rare and distinctive among contemporary ceramic art publications, anthologies, and monographs worldwide. Today, with frequent exchanges in the international ceramic community, decoding the creative processes of so many renowned artists will undoubtedly have a profound impact on promoting and enriching ceramic culture and inspiring new creative approaches.
3. The artist biographies reveal the economic and cultural environment in which they live and were educated, while their creative philosophies (or self-reports) reflect how they perceive the world and their inner selves. Although these are not the only ways to interpret their works, they at least provide direct insights into the artists and their creations.
4. All works, demonstrations, and texts in the book are personally provided and signed by the artists for authorization, a practice uncommon in China's publishing industry. Each artist's works are presented in full, provided they meet publication standards, without any deletions. Strictly speaking, this is a self-selected collection of artists from around the world, and they are the true authors of the book.
5. Although the invitations to artists explicitly requested personal studio environment photos, creative process demonstrations with descriptions, artistic philosophies, biographies, and works, a small number of artists could not provide complete creative process demonstrations and some materials due to age, health conditions, or time constraints. This highlights the differences between compiling an international-scale art anthology and simply editing a collection of Chinese artists' works. Moreover, some of the provided textual materials were not in the required English, requiring translation into Chinese and then back into English, inevitably leading to some inaccuracies in expression. We chose not to adopt a simple and conventional approach to compiling the works but instead included so much challenging content and bilingual text to enhance the book's academic value and international exchange impact. However, the labor and effort involved far exceed ordinary expectations.
6. More than half of the artists featured in the book are being systematically introduced in China for the first time. Some artists I have previously introduced are also featured here with new works and creative process content, giving the book a fresh appearance.
7. I invited several artists and art critics from different nationalities and backgrounds to contribute articles to the book. The sincerity, wisdom, and passionate concern for Chinese ceramic art, as well as the support for the author, not only enrich the book's academic perspectives but also infuse it with vitality and a warm current of care.