World-renowned. Asia-Pacific Volume 3

Author: Bai Ming
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2005-01-01
Features: This book differs greatly from my previous works:
1. Before submitting the manuscript, I deleted an article on Chinese and foreign ceramic research, nearly 20,000 words long. What I had to say has 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 and no justification for occupying readers' valuable time. As a member of the ceramic community, my emotional bias also made it highly likely that my article would be one-sided. 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 perspectives are endlessly debated, it was even more unnecessary to elaborate on them. Therefore, 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 ceramics itself being "seen" and minimizing the author's influence.
2. The massive eight-volume format features 112 internationally renowned ceramic artists, most of whom are members of the International Ceramic Association of UNESCO. Many of them are celebrated figures in the global ceramic world, and several are masters whose works in modern ceramic history cannot be overlooked. Most of the artists included have provided images and descriptions of their creative processes, which was also one of the most challenging and labor-intensive parts of the book's solicitation and production process. Those in the industry know how difficult and almost 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, made it possible for this book to showcase these magical and uniquely charming creative processes, allowing the world to explore the diverse techniques and materials used by ceramic artists from different countries. This gives the book invaluable documentary and educational value, serving as a textbook for techniques and methods. Such a feature is rare and distinctive among contemporary ceramic books, journals, and art collections worldwide. In today's era of 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 the 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, without, as long as the clarity meets publication standards. 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 sent to these artists explicitly requested personal studio environment photos, creative process demonstrations and 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 collection and simply editing a collection of Chinese artists' works. Additionally, some of the text materials provided were not in the required English, so after translation into Chinese, they had to be translated back into English, inevitably leading to some inaccuracies in expression. The reason we did not opt for a simpler and more conventional way of compiling works but instead included so much challenging content and bilingual text was to enhance the book's academic value and its impact on international exchanges. However, the labor and hardship involved in this process far exceed ordinary imagination.
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 also have new works and creative process content included, giving the book a fresh and innovative appearance.
7. I invited several artists and art critics from different countries and backgrounds to contribute articles to this book. The sincerity, wisdom, and passionate attention to Chinese ceramics, as well as their selfless support for the author, not only enrich the book's academic perspectives but also infuse it with vitality and a warm, caring spirit.