Sands China hosts ceramic artisans workshop supporting Art Macao

Sands China Ltd. has invited a dozen ceramic artisans from Jingdezhen and Dali, China to lead a free Ceramic Artisans Workshop at The Venetian Macao, which is open to the public from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., for two weeks until August 30.

To support the initiative of Art Macao 2019 — a five-month mega international arts and cultural event organised by the Macao government, with the aim of expanding and boosting the city’s local art scene through the SAR’s first large-scale art exhibition — the integrated resort operator invited talented professional artisans to showcase their various ceramic skills and techniques at the workshop.

These artisans will present different forms of art including ceramic sculpting, Wucai painting, marbling, pinching, carving, underglaze blue painting, brush making, tile cat making, and bamboo tool production, among others.

The workshops feature interactive demonstrations, and participants can join hands-on activities such as ceramic painting, beading and pinching and take their work home with them. Attendees of the family-friendly workshop must be 5 years old or above, and children must be accompanied by an adult.

The Ceramic Artisans Workshop is one of the activities in Sands China’s All That’s Gold Does Glitter – An Exhibition of Glamorous Ceramics

Dr Wilfred Wong, president of Sands China Ltd., remarked, “After holding successful masterclasses for university art students in June, Sands China is delighted to now use the opportunity provided by our ceramics exhibition to hold this workshop featuring ceramic experts from Jingdezhen and Dali.”

“It’s a rare opportunity to see these artists demonstrate their skills live, and we hope local and visiting families can attend the exhibition and experience this unique workshop in the setting of an integrated resort. We hope this exhibition and workshop help popularise ceramic art in Macao and foster a rich artistic environment in the city, in support of Art Macao,” the executive added.

To further promote ceramic art in the region and raise awareness on the uniqueness of the creative skills, the integrated resort operator extended its visitation to local university students and non-governmental organizations including members of the Macau Special Olympics and the Fuhong Society of Macau. Their hands-on activities included ceramic painting and pinching, which they were able to take their works home.

Aside from some university students majoring in arts recruited as the workshop assistants, Sands China has trained some university students as docents as well. The workshop serves as a vital platform for the students to apply their knowledge in art and to interact with the visitors on site.

Meanwhile, the expert ceramic artisans have applauded the integrated resort operator’s initiative to showcase these traditional ceramic art techniques. They are very delighted to demonstrate their special ceramics-making skills and techniques to Macao residents and the wider audience, as some of them were put on China’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2005. And inviting children to join the workshop is a significant way to connect the next generation with art at an early age.

Sands China’s All That’s Gold Does Glitter – An Exhibition of Glamorous Ceramics features over 90 ceramic masterpieces from outstanding ceramic artists from 13 different countries and regions. It was curated over the course of 10 months by internationally renowned ceramic artist Caroline Cheng of Hong Kong, who convened a meeting of 27 artists from all over the world to create ceramic works under the theme of All That’s Gold Does Glitter which is on display for public viewing now until October 9.

What the artisans say:

Zhou Aihua

I have been in this industry for over 20 years. It’s my pleasure to be here and show people the traditional process of pinching and sculpting techniques. I thank Sands China for giving us this opportunity, as I want more people to learn about these Chinese traditional techniques and to have a chance to show our very own Jingdezhen techniques.

Gao Jinfu

I have been creating tile cats for over 40 years now and I was awarded as the inheritor of the national intangible cultural heritage by the Yunnan Provincial Department of Culture in 1988.  The tile cat is a decorative mascot of the houses in Yunnan and is placed in the middle of the ridge of the roof, and it is believed to eat all demons and ghosts. There aren’t a lot of people that know this technique nowadays; it’s kind of a lost art. So, I want to show people this tradition here in a bid to keep it alive. This is a brilliant opportunity for all of us.

Qiu Xilong

It’s my honor to be here to show slab building, one of the ancient techniques that is being somewhat lost in China. It’s a very difficult job but I’m happy to showcase this process to inspire other people with this art.

Zhu Zhiyuan

The throwing technique is the most famous ceramic forming technique and it’s interesting to show residents and visitors how it is done properly.

Wang Yun

20% of residents in Jingdezhen are doing a job related to ceramics. I’ve been doing this blue and white painting for about eight years now. This is my first time out of the region so I’m happy to show people our tradition.

Yang Dongmu

My parents have been making brushes for over 40 years so I grew up with these techniques. Mastering this brush making takes over ten years. So I’m proud to tell residents and visitors that creating brushes takes some time to master too.