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Made In China Podcast

An Hong

In conversation with  An Hong

In this series, we engage in conversations with remarkable guests, each uniquely connected to the themes and stories behind the Made In China exhibition. In the Made In China Podcast, you will meet An Hong, a painting artist. In this interview, she shares insights into the deeper layers of her art.

Meet An Hong

An Hong was born and raised in China. From a young age, she found joy in creating all kinds of art, with a particular passion for painting and sculpting. The process of creating something beautiful has always fascinated her, and since the age of five, she dreamed of working in her own studio. Over the past 25 years, she has succeeded in making that dream a reality. The exhibition features several of her artworks: glass and crystal bottles painted from the inside, each telling its own story. This refined Chinese painting technique requires great precision.

As part of the Made In China exhibition, we asked Hangfeng a few questions.

An Hong

How do you shape the world?

There is much more than we can see with our eyes. I believe our feelings and our intuition are important guides for us. My work is guided by feeling as well as observing. With my work I hope to convey the subtle feeling, the underlying intention of the design.

To create a piece of work, I always first look for what creative expression I can use to bring the creation to life. Along with creating the physical piece, art is also about creating something invisible and intangible, specific to each viewer. It is the depth and complexity of that feeling that I hope to provoke with each piece.

 

What does Chinese craftsmanship mean to you personally, and in what ways has your cultural background shaped your view of art?

For me, Chinese craftsmanship means attention to detail and perfection in execution. Both practice and the correct tools are required to achieve outstanding craftsmanship.

An Hong
An Hong's art in the Made In China exhibition.

This is particularly relevant to an art form that is important to me - the Chinese art form of painting snuff bottles.There is a Dutch saying that states “good tools are half work” and I completely agree with that. I have taken the time to understand the process of creating my art and have learnt to make my own tools necessary to produce the complicated designs.

How do you combine influences from both Chinese (art) tradition and other world cultures in your work?

I have lived the first half of my life in China and the second half in the Netherlands. I am happy and grateful that I have been able to experience both of these cultures. My Chinese upbringing is the foundation of my art but I allow my experience in the Netherlands to feed into my traditional Chinese art. The Dutch have a strong history of art and is a big part of the culture.

The influences for Western and Chinese art are very different but finding ways to combine these influences can result in interesting new art. Due to the technology of the last decades, I see more and more artists bridging the gap between the West and China and I also like to use the combination in my work.

An Hong

How did you experience visiting the Made In China exhibition, and what would you like others to take away from it?

I found the aesthetics of the exhibit to be fabulous. There had obviously been a lot of thought into how the exhibit was decorated and displayed. I am happy that Chinese art and culture is being exhibited in this way and grateful that I can be a part of it.

Chinese manufacturing culture has such a long history in various fields. It is interesting to learn about other fields of work that you don't know much about. It is always inspirational to see beautiful art and enjoyable to discover what drives other people to make these pieces.

 

Visit the exhibition Made In China until August 31 2025 in Wereldmuseum Rotterdam.

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Made in China podcast

De Made In China podcast verkent de invloed van Chinese maakcultuur op de wereld, gecombineerd met gesprekken en authentieke Chinese gerechten.
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