In Made in China contemporary Chinese artists, designers and craftspeople explore the interaction between tradition and innovation. Their work, ranging from sustainable fashion and recycled materials to unique works of art, is a response to societal developments, and demonstrates how the culture of making in China constantly reinvents itself. The exhibition offers an inspiring look at how creativity and skill come together in a changing world, and focuses on a culture of making, both past and present.
Made in China showcases the work of contemporary Chinese artists, designers and craftspeople responding to a rapidly changing world and breathing new life into Chinese cultural traditions. These makers explore themes like sustainability, identity and craft in their work.
This unique artwork, which also features in the campaign image for the Made in China exhibition, was made by six artists. It explores both the structure of the Chinese pagoda and the dynamics of their collaboration. The initiative for the project came from Jing He, who has been fascinated by tulip vases since 2016. Delftware tulip vases were ‘invented’ in the 17th century by imitating Chinese blue and white porcelain and pagodas.
This piece explores the interaction between copying and identity. The artists, who live across China and Europe, each made a layer of the pagoda. As they did so, they considered questions like, "How can we embrace each other’s differences within a permanent structure?” and “To what extent to we have to stick to the rules we have set for ourselves?"
Although their collaboration did not always seem like a cohesive whole, they appear to have achieved this in the end thanks to continual adjustments and discussion. The result is an artwork that reflects both on identity and on the power of collective effort.
China produces some 18 billion tons of ceramic waste every year. Karl Yin and Caroline Cheng, who both work as designers and artists in Jingdezhen, the centre of the China’s porcelain industry, decided to tackle this problem. They developed a technique for transforming ceramic waste into new clay and glazes, so that it can be reused.
Their biggest innovation is the YiBrick, which is made of 97% recycled porcelain. Although porcelain is a hard material, they managed to make a strong, water-permeable brick by connecting small particles with space in between. The brick allows rainwater to seep into the ground, reducing the risk of flooding, and giving the ceramic waste a new lease of life.
In Made in China contemporary Chinese artists, designers and craftspeople explore the interaction between
