Artists and scholars from France, the United States andChina share their views on the forum. Photographed by Xu Huasen

2019 “China White” International Ceramic Art Forum washeld in Dehua, Fujian Province, the “ceramic capital of the world”, on June 24.Chinese and foreign artists talked about the setting sail again on the part of“China White”.

Inthe history of world ceramics, Dehua white porcelain, which is white as snow,clear as mirror, thin as paper and clear as chime, enjoys a reputation of“Chinese white”. During the Song and Yuan Dynasties, Dehua white porcelain was exportedto Eurasia along the “Maritime Silk Road” from Citong Port in Quanzhou, and wasfavored by the local nobility.

“Inalmost every museum in Europe, we can see ceramic works from Dehua.” ChristinaShimizu, former director of the CernuschiMuseum in France and director of the heritage of French museums, believes thatno matter in the 18th century or today, Dehua was a very popular ceramic townin the world, which had a profound impact on the world’s ceramic productiontechnology.

Duringthe forum, Chinese and foreign artists visited the 400-year-old Yueji Kiln andthe 2019 Dehua Kiln folk collection exhibition of Dehua Ceramic Museum, etc. tolearn about its long history of ceramic production, profound ceramic culture,exquisite porcelain making skills and development status.

Signing ceremony of “China White” international residentproject cooperation memorandum. Photographed by Xu Huasen

Dr. Judith Schwartz, a professor at New York University,told reporters that she saw the expressive power of “China white” in themuseum’s works. It is exciting from the plasticity and malleability of whiteporcelain to the emergence of new generation artists. “I hope to attract moreartists to Dehua and embrace porcelain.”

Asthe supporting activity of the second “China White” International Ceramic Art Competition,this forum also held the first ceremony of the book “‘China White’ Setting Sailagain”, which was awarded by Quanzhou Porcelain Road Art Development Center toDehua Ceramic Museum; the Ceramic Development Committee of Dehua County,Quanzhou Porcelain Road Art Development Center, jointly signed the “‘ChinaWhite’ International Resident Project Cooperation Memorandum” with QuanzhouArts And Crafts Vocational College and Dehua Vocational and Technical School,and held the award ceremony of “China White international artist residentcreation exchange base”.

"Ihope to make ‘China White’ International Ceramic Art Forum one of the brand activitiesof Sino-French Culture Forum, and make it an important platform for people ofall countries to connect with each other and learn from each other’s culturalstrengths. Thus, it will become an example of cultural exchange practice of‘Belt and Road’ co-built with high quality." Quanzhou mayor Wang Yonglisaid.

Quanzhouwas an important starting point of the ancient “Maritime Silk Road”. During theSong and Yuan Dynasties, Quanzhou was the “largest port in the east” and hadtrade contacts with more than 100 countries and regions in the world. Dehuaceramics are mild, clean, elegant and exquisite, becoming the main exportcommodities of the ancient “Maritime Silk Road”.

Thefirst person to refer to Dehua white porcelain as “China White” was a Frenchnamed Prade, who first wrote Blancde Chine (“China White”) in his “PracticalGuide to Paris Correspondence Addresses, 1692”. Since then, “China White” hasbecome popular in Europe and even around the globe.

Inthe first Sino-French Culture Forum in 2016, the “China White” InternationalCeramic Art Competition came into being, becoming the competition brand of Sino-foreignceramic art exchange and mutual learning. The second “China White” InternationalCeramic Art Competition was launched in September 2018, and the registration endedin May 2019, 785 works were submitted by 569 artists from 40 countries andregions.

ProfessorBai Ming, chairman of the judging committee and head of the ceramics departmentof the Academy of Arts & Design of Tsinghua University, said that thecompetition committee chose “white porcelain”, which is China’s mostinfluential and highly recognized art in the world, as the theme, which vividlypresents the understanding, recognition and expression of “China White” byartists all over the world.

“Wewere pleasantly surprised to find that the ‘China White’ that once brought suchbeauty to the world is not just a reflection of the past, but a novelassociation to the development of a more open and inclusive field ofinnovation.” Bai Ming said.

TenChinese and foreign artists were selected to be awarded in the second “ChinaWhite” International Ceramic Art Competition on June 21 in Beijing, and theaward ceremony will be held at Opera de Nice in France on October 8 this year,during which the fourth Sino-French Culture Forum will also be held. Thewinning works of the two competitions and some excellent works will also beexhibited in the Nice Massena Museum from October 6 this year.