Molding magic

Exhibition by domestic, international artists explores new dimensions of ancient ceramic art, Lin Qi reports.

In his most important encyclopedia of technology, Tiangong Kaiwu (The Creations of Nature and Men), Song Yingxing, the agronomist who lived in the 16th and 17th centuries, wrote: "Passing through water and fire, of which powers are combined in a harmonious way, the clay becomes utensil."

In the book, he elaborated on the techniques used to make earthen products like tiles, bricks and pottery through the joint aegis of water and fire.

Song described porcelain as "the utensil of artistry, its crystalline body glittering with minimalist grace", and said that the technical progress from wood to ceramics marked the march of civilization through the replacement of old ways with new ones.