Park Ju-hee presents her creations to customers at a stand during an open-air art fair, as part of the 2023 China Jingdezhen International Ceramic Expo, in Jingdezhen, east China's Jiangxi Province, Oct. 18, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhu Yunuo)
With her ceramic works spread out at a tiny stand, Park Ju-hee was busy presenting her latest series of creations to potential buyers.
The 44-year-old from the Republic of Korea (ROK) named the series "Mosaic," as she randomly added some light colors, such as green and purple, to the white plates and cups.
"Life has been colorless during the past three years because of the pandemic, and so I hope my works can help make life more colorful," said Park, who now lives in the city of Jingdezhen, a world-famous "porcelain capital" in east China's Jiangxi Province.
Her stand is located at an open-air art fair and formed part of the 2023 China Jingdezhen International Ceramic Expo held from Wednesday to Sunday.
Jingdezhen's history of ceramic-making dates back over 2,000 years. Its role as an official and royal kiln pushed its porcelain-making techniques to the highest level in history.
People visit an open-air art fair, as part of the 2023 China Jingdezhen International Ceramic Expo, in Jingdezhen, east China's Jiangxi Province, Oct. 17, 2023. (Xinhua)
As a migrant city luring worldwide craftsmen and selling porcelain overseas since ancient times, Jingdezhen has drawn global migrants like Park, with about 1,000 foreigners currently living in the city.
Born in the rural area of a small city called Anseong in the ROK, Park has been interested in crafting, including carpentry, since she was young.
After acquiring a master's degree in architecture in the ROK, she headed to Beijing in 2008 to pursue her doctoral degree at Tsinghua University.
Tired of metropolis life and urban planning work in the cities of Beijing and Hangzhou, Park decided to move to Jingdezhen last year.
"With a profound history of porcelain making, this place is ideal for creations," Park said, adding that the city is cozy because of the lower living costs and reduced mental stress.
She said the urban planning and design she learned at university has inspired her ceramic creations, while her knowledge about clays of various kinds and firing temperatures also helped to make her a quick learner in making ceramics.
Apart from teaching herself, Park has also learned porcelain-making techniques from other artists by working part-time in a studio in Jingdezhen.
Park is proud that her works are proving popular at the fair, with her daily revenue ranging from 2,000 yuan (278.58 U.S. dollars) to 5,000 yuan.
Attracted by the "Mosaic" series, a customer ended up buying three cups and a plate at a total cost of more than 800 yuan.
"This series is special in terms of both color and technique," said the customer surnamed Wu, a local resident.
Park said this series is her favorite creation so far, reminding her of her colorful country life during childhood.
"When I lived with my grandmother when I was young, the four seasons in the mountains alternated with rich colors, and so I wanted to integrate these colors from nature into the 'Mosaic' series," she said.
Park plans to settle down in Jingdezhen and has opened her own studio.
"I hope to integrate more materials, such as wood and grass, into my works of creation in the future," she said.
