I thought I would use this week’s blog to tell you more about the residency I am working in. I am at the Shangyu Celadon Modern International Ceramic Art Center.

http://www.shangyuceladon.com/en/profile.aspx

Shangyu is a district of the prefecture city of Shaoxing in the northeast of Zhejiang province. There are less than a million people in this district located where the Cao’e River flows out of the hilly area that makes up more than half of the county. It is 2 hours from Shanghai and south of Hangzhou. Besides this important river, there are picturesque canals through the area.

I am not in the first group of artist to work here, but certainly one of the early ones in its development. The studios are spacious and the staff helpful. There are gas and electric kilns available and the usual equipment found in ceramics studios. The building is nicely designed and opens out to a park running along the river.  The work created will be placed in a planned museum.

Mr. Song, the Director, treated us to an enjoyable night of local culture, including Yu Opera and musicians playing traditional instruments.   We did a bit of walking in the shopping district where the bronze sculptures tell the story of a previous time in China. Today, we signed the artists’ wall and took pictures with the wonderful staff. My next and last China 2016 blog will be about the work I made while working here.

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Inside view

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Entrance

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Park

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Canal

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Sculptures of Old China

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Pagoda

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Artists and staff

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Signature wall