UK exhibition highlights Chinese contemporary studio crafts

Chen Sijia's A Great Disruption echoed the spiritual side of mountains. The hills and rivers in her landscape painting represent difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic faced by the Asian immigrant community in the United States.

"Chen noticed that Asians overseas have experienced unprecedented challenges during the Covid time, just as one can experience an arduous journey by traveling over mountains and rivers. So, she collected immigration forms, instructions in the test kits, restaurant menus, and news clippings, cut them into different shapes, and created the symbolic mountains," says Li.

Li says that she hopes the collections could showcase a new contemporary China to Western audiences.

"China, as a nation which enjoys a rich history in handcrafts, do not only have the antiquities dating back to the Yuan, Ming or Qing dynasties, but also thrive in contemporary culture. The craft industry, from artistic, studio ceramics, glass and lacquer, to utilitarian vessels produced by independent craftsmakers and designers, is developing fast in big cities.

"This phenomenon is partly the result of the economic growth China achieved in the past decades. A consumer society which appreciate decorative and functional household items with good quality and unique design is forming."