中文 
en 
Zou Dongbo
Zou Dongbo
Personal Profile
Zou Dongbo comes from Poyang County, Jiangxi, and showed a natural talent for porcelain sculpture from a young age. At seventeen, Zou Dongbo left his village to study under the master porcelain sculptor Zou Wanxiang (Zou Wanxiang was a master of ceramic art who, in 2004, crafted a pair of ten-thousand-piece golden bell vases for Lushan Forest Temple in Shandong. Although there is limited information about him online, his works and stories have become legends in Jingdezhen). Within this family of porcelain sculptors, the young Zou Dongbo inherited the legacy from Master Zou Wanxiang, and through his own talent and dedication, elevated the art of porcelain sculpture further, fully expressing the characteristics of three-dimensional creativity and form-inspired design. Regarding the admiration of porcelain sculpture enthusiasts and collectors, he says: “What I truly enjoy is the entire creative process.”
To further elevate his porcelain sculpture art, Zou Dongbo sought to develop his own artistic language through aesthetic forms. Porcelain sculpture involves multiple technical processes, including modeling, molding, firing, coloring, and overglaze painting. As a three-dimensional art form representing imagery, whether depicting figures or animals, fine art porcelain or utilitarian objects, it always conveys its theme, individuality, and specific scenes through form. A fine sculptural piece must be fully expressed through perfect decorative coloring; such decoration enhances the form like a finishing touch, more perfectly highlighting the shape and spirit of the work. Perhaps by fate, during their shared studies, Zou Dongbo spent daily time with Zou Wanxiang’s daughter, and affection gradually blossomed between them. Zou Wanxiang noticed and was delighted; he felt confident entrusting his daughter to Zou Dongbo. As family through marriage, Zou Dongbo shared his aspirations with his father-in-law, declaring his lifelong commitment to porcelain sculpture and assuring him that his craft would have a worthy successor. As Zou Wanxiang’s sole inheritor, Zou Dongbo lived up to his master’s teachings. Under Zou Wanxiang’s guidance and through his own diligence and talent, he quickly mastered the essentials—within less than three months, he produced small porcelain sculptures that received excellent acclaim.
In 2006, Zou Wanxiang fell ill and passed away. At this time, Zou Dongbo faced unprecedented pressure: much of his savings had been exhausted during his father-in-law’s illness. To find a way forward, Zou Dongbo and his wife decided to take jobs at a porcelain factory. During these working days, they started with the most demanding tasks. Gradually, Zou Dongbo’s porcelain sculpture skills earned widespread praise from clients. Later, customers began asking if he could create custom porcelain sculptures. After several months, Zou Dongbo gained market recognition for his art; former clients who had once only trusted his father-in-law now returned to him, and Zou Dongbo was finally accepted by all.
Today, building upon his master’s techniques, Zou Dongbo’s craftsmanship is exquisite: his carvings are finely detailed, lifelike, and profoundly expressive, while also elevating the art into a distinctive personal style. His carved dragons and phoenixes have reached the level of his master—vividly alive, with extraordinarily intricate details so precise that even individual feathers show every strand of hair clearly, as if truly soaring through clouds and riding the wind.
To further elevate his porcelain sculpture art, Zou Dongbo sought to develop his own artistic language through aesthetic forms. Porcelain sculpture involves multiple technical processes, including modeling, molding, firing, coloring, and overglaze painting. As a three-dimensional art form representing imagery, whether depicting figures or animals, fine art porcelain or utilitarian objects, it always conveys its theme, individuality, and specific scenes through form. A fine sculptural piece must be fully expressed through perfect decorative coloring; such decoration enhances the form like a finishing touch, more perfectly highlighting the shape and spirit of the work. Perhaps by fate, during their shared studies, Zou Dongbo spent daily time with Zou Wanxiang’s daughter, and affection gradually blossomed between them. Zou Wanxiang noticed and was delighted; he felt confident entrusting his daughter to Zou Dongbo. As family through marriage, Zou Dongbo shared his aspirations with his father-in-law, declaring his lifelong commitment to porcelain sculpture and assuring him that his craft would have a worthy successor. As Zou Wanxiang’s sole inheritor, Zou Dongbo lived up to his master’s teachings. Under Zou Wanxiang’s guidance and through his own diligence and talent, he quickly mastered the essentials—within less than three months, he produced small porcelain sculptures that received excellent acclaim.
In 2006, Zou Wanxiang fell ill and passed away. At this time, Zou Dongbo faced unprecedented pressure: much of his savings had been exhausted during his father-in-law’s illness. To find a way forward, Zou Dongbo and his wife decided to take jobs at a porcelain factory. During these working days, they started with the most demanding tasks. Gradually, Zou Dongbo’s porcelain sculpture skills earned widespread praise from clients. Later, customers began asking if he could create custom porcelain sculptures. After several months, Zou Dongbo gained market recognition for his art; former clients who had once only trusted his father-in-law now returned to him, and Zou Dongbo was finally accepted by all.
Today, building upon his master’s techniques, Zou Dongbo’s craftsmanship is exquisite: his carvings are finely detailed, lifelike, and profoundly expressive, while also elevating the art into a distinctive personal style. His carved dragons and phoenixes have reached the level of his master—vividly alive, with extraordinarily intricate details so precise that even individual feathers show every strand of hair clearly, as if truly soaring through clouds and riding the wind.
para-title
TAG:
Zou Dongbo