Artistic inspiration

Zhang has two ink paintings at the exhibition, both entitled Pagoda.

"You can easily find traditional Chinese art elements, such as the contrast of black and white, as well as lines," he says.

Wuhan-based artist Shi Jinsong has created an installation with environmentally friendly materials to represent a pine tree, which is usually regarded as a representation of the indomitable character of the Chinese.

The artist wrapped and protected the tree with packing boxes and plastic film, creating a kind of undisturbed paradiselike space for it. Shi says he wants the work to promote reflection on the modern threats to our environment and urge people to build a world where humans and nature coexist in harmony.

Hu Ronglin, the deputy Party secretary of the Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute, says: "The exhibition offers the town's ceramic industry an opportunity to seek inspiration from the contemporary art scene of China."

The Taoxichuan Ceramic Art Avenue, where the exhibition is being held, is the old site of a famous local ceramics factory. The area, which covers 89,000 square meters, has been restored into an art zone featuring ceramics culture.