Inheritor passes on famille-rose porcelain in E China's Jiangxi

He Weizhen works on a piece of famille-rose porcelain work at a studio in Jingdezhen city, east China's Jiangxi Province. (People's Daily Online/Kong Wenjin)

In her studio in Jingdezhen city, east China's Jiangxi Province, He Weizhen, an inheritor of famille-rose porcelain featuring landscapes, continues to create beautiful porcelain works.

"Famille-rose porcelain is one of the four traditional famous porcelains of Jingdezhen. It is based on the famille-rose enamel and is also called soft-colored porcelain," He explained. The colors are rich and soft, with natural transitions between different colors, but its production process is complex and the firing is difficult, especially the color ratio.

The colors of famille-rose porcelain only reveal themselves after firing, making it a difficult skill to master without years of experience, according to the artisan.

He has integrated traditional Chinese painting techniques with ceramics creation. Her series of works inspired by silk paintings in the Song Dynasty (960-1279) have turned heads with their unique charm.

"When applying color, all pigments appear as light, opaque shades that look similar to the untrained eye. If one applies too much or too little to any part of a porcelain work, it will result in a defective product after the firing process," He said, adding that the coloring process hinges on artisans' years of accumulated expertise.

Several pieces of He's works, which are now housed in museums at the provincial and municipal levels, won multiple gold awards during national competitions.

He has always sought ways to innovate the production of famille-rose porcelain featuring landscapes while inheriting traditional techniques. "Only in this way can we better promote the traditional craft," she said.