I arrived in Jingdezhen, China, in May of 2013 for a month-long artist residency at the Pottery Workshop, which is nestled within the fabled Sculpture Factory. At one time, the Sculpture Factory housed over 1500 artisans and craft persons within its rabbit warren of cobblestone paths. In China, creating is all about division of labor, which can seem antithetical for Westerners. There is a craftsperson skilled in virtually every aspect of the creative process that relates to ceramics. In a small city of 1.6 million people, 1.2 million of its citizens are employed in the ceramics industry. It is in this context that within a week upon settling into the possibilities that lay before me, I met Australian-based ceramic artist Diana Williams, who welcomed me warmly into the ex-pat community.
Originally published in November 2020 issue of Ceramics Monthly, pages 38-41 . http://www.ceramicsmonthly.org . Copyright, The American Ceramic Society. Reprinted with permission.
