Introduction

Yixing, a city with a ceramic history of nearly 7,000 years, is an important cradle of Chinese ceramic culture. Yixing purple sand is famous all over the world. After half a century of modern ceramic development, ceramic teapots have expanded from the traditional field of practical arts and crafts to non-practical fields such as sculptures.

In 2001 and 2005, Yixing successfully held the events of “International Ceramic Culture and Arts Seminar & Ceramic Exhibition”. In 2005, Yixing was honored as the "The Center of Teapot Making of the World" by IAC chairman Tony Frank. In October 2019, “the 1st World Ceramic Teapot Competition” was held during "the 10th Yixing China International Ceramic Culture and Arts Festival". We received 573 art pieces (sets) from 18 countries, including China, the United States, Canada, Italy, Serbia, Israel, Japan, South Korea. The artworks are wonderful and have a wide range of themes, receiving a huge response from the whole industry, and gaining unanimous praise from expert judges and participants. In 2024, the People’s Government of Yixing Municipality and IAC will continue to host “the 2nd World Ceramic Teapot Competition”. We welcome participants who bring ceramic teapots of various cultural backgrounds and artistic styles. The ceramic artworks can be realistic or abstract. Hope that we can build a stage for international ceramic cultural exchange and development together.

Organizing Committees

Sponsor: IAC (International Academy of Ceramics), UNESCO

Host: The People’s Government of Yixing Municipality

Organizer： Yixing Ceramic Professional Association

Requirements for Submitted Works

(1) Each participant can submit up to 2 pieces (sets) of work. (each piece must contents at least 50% ceramic material).

(2) The maximum size of each piece of work shouldn’t exceed 0.5 meters.

(3) The works must be completed in 2019 or later and have never been selected or awarded in any competition before.

Topic

The theme of this contest is “pot” (especially referring to the vessels made of ceramics with handle, spout and lid) that is made of clay. No limit to molding and decoration technology.

Targeted Participants

Ceramists from all over the world are welcomed to apply for registration. There are no restrictions on nationality, age, status, etc. Group participants are requested to register as one person (please attach the team list).

Awards and obligations

(1) Awards

1．Grand Prize (1): 60,000RMB (including tax, including the bonus for donating this work) and a certificate.

2．(If the jury committee does not agree to the Grand Prize, the Grand Prize will be adjust to one more Gold Award).

3．Gold Award (2): 30,000RMB (including tax, including the bonus for donating this work) and a certificate each.

4．Silver Award (5): 15,000RMB (including tax, including the bonus for donating this work) and a certificate each.

5．Bronze Award (10): 6000RMB (including tax, including the bonus for donating this work) and a certificate each.

6．Award of Excellence (several): each winner will get a certificate.

7．According to the number of jury committee members, Special Jury Awards will be set up.

8．All the selected works (around 250 pieces) will be issued with a certificate of selection.

9．The selected works can also be donated to the cultural and art institutions designated by the People’s Government of Yixing Municipality for collection.

10．Each prize winner and finalist will receive a publication of this event.

(2) Travel Expenses

Those who lives more than 1,000 kilometers away from Yixing and choose to bring their artworks to Yixing by themselves may get a transportation allowance of 1200RMB and a five-day accommodation from the organizer.

(3) Obligations

1．All bonuses must be taxed by law.

2．The works that win the Grand Prize, Gold Awards, Silver Awards, and Bronze Awards shall be donated for collection free of charge to the cultural and artistic institutions designated by the People’s Government of Yixing Municipality.

Competition Process Overview

(1) Application

1．Online application only (no application fee is required).

2．The website:

http://www.teapotworld.com.cn   OR    https://www.jstaoxie.com

3．Application Date:

from March 1, 2024 to July 15, 2024.

4．The lists of the jury committee members will be announced later.

(2) Preliminary Review and the announcement of the results

Those who complete the application procedures within the application time will be qualified to participate in the preliminary review. The list of selected candidates will be published on the website of Yixing Ceramic Professional Association before August 15, 2024. The selected candidates will also be notified by email to deliver or bring their works to the final review.

(If you have not receive the email notice before August 15, 2024, please check the preliminary review results online and contact the organizer immediately. Those who fail to contact before September 15, 2024 so that they fail to participate the final review on time, they will be considered as abstentions.）

(3) On-site Final Review

1．Shipping preparation: Upon notification of entry to the final review, the participants should begin to pack their works properly according to the specified time of delivery.

The package must be enclosed with a report on the condition of the work and instructions on unpacking, assembling and displaying. Please paste the photos of the works (in color prints) to the outside of the packaging box.

The participants shall be responsible for the shipping insurance. Further details may be informed later.

2．The participants shall be responsible for the shipping fee, import tax, packaging fee, insurance and other related charges to ship their works to Yixing.

3．Participants are requested to confirm the relevant international import and export methods, customs declaration, customs clearance, payment and other related matters with the transport unit entrusted by themselves.

Please enter and exit at Shanghai Port. The organizer will assist in handling the relevant procedures. If the works are not delivered to the organizer within the appointed time, the participants will be considered as abstentions.

4．The works should be delivered to the place appointed by the organizer from October 10 to October 16, 2024. Please contact the organizer or the consignee in advance to confirm the appointed delivery time.

(4) Shipping damage and insurance

1．Participants are fully responsible for any damage or loss of their works before they arrives at the appointed location. Also, the participants are fully responsible for any damage or loss of their works on their return. To ensure shipping safety, please pack carefully and purchase shipping insurance, which is highly recommended.

2．After the works are delivered to the place appointed by the organizer, if the works are found damaged during shipping, the organizer will take photos and inform the participants immediately. After the unpacking inspection for confirmation, the organizer will take preventive measures to protect the safety of the works. In case of irresistible factors (such as natural disasters, etc.), or the damage caused by the fragile materials and poor structure of the works that can hold the artist accountable, the organizer will not be responsible for the damage.

(5) On-site Final Review and the announcement of the results

The list of awards will be announced at the opening ceremony of “the 12th Yixing China International Ceramic Culture and Arts Festival” on October 18, 2024 (tentative). The list will also be published on the official websites of IAC and Yixing Ceramic Professional Association. The winners will be notified by emails.

(6) Return of works (please choose one of the following two options)

Please confirm the return method by November 30, 2024.

a). In person:

Participants come to Yixing to handle the return procedures in person. The specific date will be notified later. If the work will be collected by an entrusted agent in person, the participant must inform the organizer in advance through the application email address. When collecting the works on behalf of the participant, the agent must present the “Power of Attorney for Collecting the Works” signed by the participant himself (or herself), the copy of the participant’s ID card, the original and copy of the agent’s ID card.

b). Entrust the organizer:

If the participants entrust the organizer to ship their works back, the participants must inform the organizer in advance through the application email address. The participants shall be responsible for the insurance fee and customs declaration fee to return the works, while the organizer will be responsible for the shipping fee, the packing fee of returning the works. The organizer is scheduled to arrange for the return of works in January 2025 (the specific time will be announced later).

If, before March 30, 2025, the participant neither picks up the work to be returned, nor entrusts the organizer to handle the returning, the work will be deemed that has been donated to the organizer. The organizer would have full right to handle this work.

Insurance

The participants shall be responsible for the shipping insurance when shipping to organizer and returning works back to themselves after the exhibition.

After the unpacking inspection for confirmation, the organizer will purchase insurance for the works before the return deadline. The insurance cost shall not exceed 30,000RMB for each set of work.

Kindly Reminders

(1) The application documents and submitted images and videos will be used as research records by the organizer and will not be returned.

(2) The return or replacement of the works shall not be requested during the review and exhibition period.

(3) The works shall not be used illegally, shall not be copied, plagiarized or used in violation of copyright laws. If there is any violation of the above provisions, the participants will be responsible for the violation actions. Participants should also ensure that the works have not been awarded before. Otherwise, the organizer will have the right to cancel the award or qualification, and recover the prize bonus and certificate.

(4) The participant who completes the application of this event shall be deemed to agree to and comply with the provisions in the general plan of this program. The organizer has the right to use portraits, exhibition, research, photography, video, publication and publicity for free and fair use of the participating artists and their works during and after the exhibition and related events.

(5) For matters not included in this announcement, further explanation will be announced by the organizer after being deliberated and amended by the host.

Activity Schedule

*Please note: Academic Forum and other activities will be arranged separately.

Contact

Address:Yixing Ceramic Professional Association, No.150, Dingshan North Road, DingShu, Yixing, Jiangsu Province, China.

Tel. 0510-87186696

Website: http://www.teapotworld.com.cn

Email: worldteapotart@163.com

Yixing Ceramic Professional Association

September 28, 2023