Well Known Masters Of Jianzhan Tenmoku Cups

Modern Jianzhan craftsmanship began to revive in the 1980s, and many outstanding ceramic artists dedicated themselves to restoring lost traditional techniques, adorning the contemporary revival of Jianzhan with charming creations. Among them are eight representative Jianzhan masters whose works showcase the artistic style of contemporary Jianzhan artisans.

1. Sun Jianxing - "孙建兴":

Sun Jianxing is a Chinese master of ceramic arts and an inheritor of national-level intangible cultural heritage. His Jianzhan works are collected by prestigious institutions such as the National Museum of China and the China National Arts and Crafts Museum.

They have been exhibited at the Shanghai World Expo and have received over ten national patents. Sun Jianxing has been featured in media outlets such as NHK in Japan and KBS in South Korea.

Engaged in Jianzhan firing for over 40 years, Sun Jianxing has developed a series of works, including Black Glaze, Yellow Hare’s fur, National Treasure Oil spot, Gold (Silver) Oil spot, Persimmon Red, and Yohen Tenmoku Jianzhan.

His works feature an antique and elegant glaze color, with naturally formed patterns that exhibit unpredictable and rich Oriental artistic colors.

2. Li Da "李达"- Master of partridge Jianzhan Firing:

Li Da is a Chinese master of ceramic arts and a theorist in Jianzhan. Since the late 1980s, he has dedicated himself to Jianzhan’s research, particularly focusing on iron crystalline glazes.

His works primarily consist of oil spot Jianzhan with multi-layered three-dimensional crystalline glazes, exuding a strong metallic feel.

His works, regarded as the pinnacle of Jianzhan, are collected by esteemed institutions such as the Ziguangge and the Palace Museum in Beijing.

3. Chen Dapeng - "陈大鹏":

Chen Dapeng is a Chinese master of arts and crafts who has received a Lifetime Achievement Award and is also one of the renowned Jianzhan masters.

In 1978, Chen Dapeng successfully developed the oil spot Jianzhan, which brought the Song Dynasty-style oil spot Jianzhan back into the spotlight. He is considered the pioneer and witness of contemporary Jianzhan craftsmanship.

Chen Dapeng is famous among Jianzhan collectors for his distinctive works. For instance, his partridge Jianzhan, with clear boundaries, strong layering, and vivid colors in the design of the partridge bird, is instantly recognizable as his creation. However, he remains somewhat mysterious to most people.

4. Lu Jinxi "陆金喜"- Pioneer of Yohen Tenmoku in China:

Lu Jinxi is a reviver of the Yohen Tenmoku Jianzhan firing technique and a representative figure of the Yohen artisan. His creations have gained popularity, and in 2016, his “新建窑曜变天目建盏” was auctioned for 1.127 million RMB. The following iamge shows the comparison between Lu Jinxi’s works and antiques.

5. Jiang Youting "江有庭"- Founder of Colored "Tenmoku" Jianzhan:

Jiang Youting started working with ceramics in 1983 and specialized in “oil spot Tenmoku” from 1984. From 1987 to 1989, he was appointed as a ceramic art teacher in Tokyo, Japan, where he traveled to various kilns and visited renowned ceramic artists.

In 1995, he successfully fired colored “Tenmoku” Jianzhan and named it “Cangse Tianmu.” In his view, the colors of Tenmoku Jianzhan are not limited to rabbit hair and oil spots, but through the power of fire, the colors include red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, purple, gold, and silver.

The hues and patterns of the glaze change with the intensity of light and the angles of reflection, resembling a world hidden within the teacup. Hence, he named it colored Tenmoku.

6. Lv Zhuxing - 吕竹兴:

For over a decade, Lv Zhuxing has been devoted to restoring genuine Jianzhan with the ancient charm of the Song Dynasty. He is the most representative figure in the field of antique-style Jianzhan.

Through more than ten years of research and effort, Lv Zhuxing has comprehensively mastered Jianzhan’s traditional glazing and firing techniques. He has successfully fired representative works with Song-style charms, such as antique-style Wu Jin glaze, powdered tea leaf Jianzhan, and antique-style rabbit hair Jianzhan.

These vessels adhere closely to the standards of ancient times in terms of shape, charm, body, and carving. According to Lv Zhuxing, the best interpretation of Jianzhan heritage is through the art of restoration.

7、长江惣吉

“长江惣吉,” a Japanese leading ceramic artist, the ninth generation leader of SETOYAKI, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, and a leader in the Japanese Tenmoku production industry. SETOYAKI benefits from the local pottery and kaolin, as well as the favorable ceramic resources of the places and people, and has a long history of making Tenmoku glaze handicrafts.

In 1996, “长江惣吉” embarked on the path of pursuing the Yohen Tenmoku cup and came to Jianyang, Fujian, the birthplace of the Tenmoku cup, bringing back some pottery pieces. Over the next 30 years, he traveled back and forth to China nearly 30 times and brought back about 80 tons of mud from Jianyang to study the making of Jianzhan. These mud materials are estimated to be used for 100 years of experimental production.

8. Jean Girel - Impressionist Jianzhan:

If it weren’t for a beautiful encounter with Jianzhan from the Song Dynasty at the Musée Guimet in Paris in 1975, Jean Girel might have become an excellent painter.

That encounter ignited his passion for ceramics and eventually led him to become one of the prominent Jianzhan masters outside of China.

Jean Girel’s works are known for their impressionistic style, where he combines the aesthetics of painting with the art of Jianzhan. His creations often feature vibrant colors, delicate brushwork, and a sense of movement, capturing the essence of the Jianzhan tradition in a unique and contemporary way.