珠山八友 zhu shan ba you (eight modern artists of Jingdezhen)

Zhu is another name of Jingdezhen. Ceramic painting artists in the later Qing to the Republic of China period made new art scenes which mixed the traditional Chinese painting technique with the european famille rose style painting which was a major trend by that time.

in 1928, 8 very popular ceramic painting artists made Yueyuan Society and they passionately pursued modern ceramic painting. Their arts are very popular at the present time and being traded at high prices among ceramic art collectors.

王琦 Wangqi (1884-1937)

Wan’s pseudonyms were 陶迷道人 Taomidaoren.

When he was 17 years old, he started to learn ceramic art for a living at Jingdezhen. He studied painting technique under the ceramic painting artist  Pantaoy. Throughout learning, famille rose portrait painting became Wan’s strong point. His work is characterized by its hearty brushwork and his painting style seems to be influenced by  Huangshen who was a painter in the Qing era. He is the most praised among the eight persons of Jingdezhen. His studio was known as Taotaozhai.

王大凡 Wangdafan (1888-1961)

Wang began his career in Jingdezhen as a young man, and, over the course of roughly a half century, worked as a porcelain painter. He was a skilled painter of figure portraiture, landscapes, and nature scenes, and the originator of the landing pastel technique（paint with the color glass powder directly to the porcelain surface without white glass powder base）). in the early years of the Republic, he established the Jingdezhen Ceramics institute with Wangqi and others and held regular exhibitions. He also published many specialty newspapers and magazines, such as the Jingdezhen Craft Daily. In 1915, the large porcelain portrait vase "fuguishoukao", which featured his painting, was chosen for first prize at the Panama–Pacific international exposition. His painting style is simple, and his brush work is delicate. at times, he offers up a peculiar style. in the era of the People's Republic of China, he served as the executive director of the Jingdezhen Porcelain artists association and the Jiangxi Provincial artists association.

汪野亭 Wangyeting (1884-1942)

Wang entered the the Jiangxi Ceramics institute in 1906, where he studied under Pantaoyu. He first specialized in nature scenes but later moved to landscapes and established the pastel green landscape technique. The compositions of his paintings mimic the masters known as the four kings of the early Qing dynasty, Wangshimin, Wangjian, Wanghui, and Wangyuanqi. His work is characterized by its hearty brushwork and lustrous colors. His studio was known as Pingshancaotang.

程意亭 Chengyiting (1895-1948)

Cheng's pseudonyms were 佩古斋Peiguzhai and 翥山樵子Zhushanqiaozi. He entered the Jiangxi Ceramics institute in Poyang in 1911, where he studied painting under Zhangxiaogeng and Pangouyu. He later became a disciple of painter Chengyaosheng of the Shanghai Zhe school. He specialized in nature paintings. His compositions are unique and mix realism and exaggeration. He expresses the feel of bird feathers with exquisite brushwork. His painting style falls between that of Jiangnansha and Yunnantian.

刘雨岑 Liuyucen (1904-1969)

Liu's pseudonyms were 澹湖渔Danhuyu and 六旬后号巧翁Liuxunhouhaoqiaoweng. In 1918, he entered the Jiangxi Provincial Jiazhong engineering and Ceramics School, where he studied painting under Pangouyu. after marrying Zhuqiuxia, daughter of Jingdezhen ceramicist Zhushouzhi, he specialized in paintings of flora and fauna. He later became the adopted son of the great Jingdezhen ceramics painter Wangqi and worked with him in establishing the Porcelain arts Research institute and the Yueyuan Society.

In the Republic era, Liuyucen worked as an instructor at the Fuliang County Pottery School, the Zhushan National Technical School for the Porcelain arts, and the Dongfang Technical School for the arts. His early style was extremely delicate. During and after his middle period, he painted nature scenes by studying one of the techniques in oriental painting  mei gu (where gradients are expressed in ink and pigment without using outlines) of painters such as Yunnantian and Renbonian. Liuyucen's greatest achievement is surely his invention of the "water point" painting technique. The development of this technique allowed the so-called freehand style of Chinese painting to be worked into porcelain art. Works of his are kept in The Palace Museum.

In 1975, Lliuyucen's son, Liuping, developed an improved version of the technique his father had invented, known as the "water point peach blossom" technique, and directed the designs for the Number 7501 Zhongnanhai Porcelains, which are known as People's Republic guan ware.

When using the water point technique, it becomes possible to create soft, blurry, watercolor-like lines, even with pastels, and to create a light, bright pink color. Peach blossoms drawn using this pink color are known as "water point peach blossoms".

徐仲南 Xuzhongnan (1872-1952)

Xu's pseudonyms were 竹里老人Zhulilaoren. In his youth, he studied porcelain painting at a Nanchang porcelain shop, and in 1918 he joined the Nanchang Ceramics Corporation where he worked as Manager of Porcelain arts. He excelled at decorating with pastels. He specialized in landscapes and had a particular touch for plant imagery. a member of the Yueyuan Society, his studio was known as Qibishanguan.

毕伯涛 Bibotao (1885-1961)

Bi's pseudonym was 黄山樵子Huangshanqiaozi. He studied painting under the artist Zhangyunshan.

In the early years of the Republic, he began work in porcelain painting after moving to Jingdezhen to make a living and joining the Yueyuan Society at the invitation of Wangqi and Wangdafan.

Bibotao focused on painting flower vases and tea trays. He painted birds such as crested mynas, mandarin ducks, and indian paradise flycatchers. although the only three colors he used were green, yellow, and black, his work is refined. His style falls within the xinluoshanren school. At the time he was not popular, and his works are extremely few.

Many of his students grew to become modern Jingdezhen ceramics artists, and among them his son Biyuanming is a representative figure of this period of Jingdezhen.

田鶴仙 Tianhexian (1894-1952)

Tian's pseudonyms were 梅华主人Meihuazhuren and 荒园老梅Huangyuanlaomei. His studio was known as Gushizhai. In the early years of the Republic, the nearly middle-aged Tian began work in porcelain painting after an encounter with the Jingdezhen porcelain painting master Xuzhongnan. In his early period, he specialized in landscapes. His style changed markedly after he became a member of the late Yueyuan Society as he studied the plum portraits (images with plum trees as the subject) of the yuan dynasty artist Wangmian and took the lead in painting plum portraits on porcelain ware. His paintings of plum trees exerted a major influence on the course of modern Jingdezhen porcelain decoration.

邓碧珊 Dengbishan (1874-1930)

Deng's pseudonyms were 铁肩子Tiejianzi . A porcelain painter who excelled at underwater scenery, the influence of Japanese art can be seen in his paintings. His literary illustrations 诗书画印 (a traditional Chinese art form where a single subject is expressed through writing, ink wash images, and seal engraving) are also exceptional. a central figure in Jingdezhen.