Teapot is derived from China, but modern Chinese people may be not so familiar with European teapots. Jiri Lastovicka, from Czech Republic, is one of the representatives of the western teapot makers. His teapot style is totally different form the oriental teapot style. Those aesthectic and creative teapots will bring you a visual shock and an enjoyment.
Owing to his first perfect memory about Shanghai in 2006, Jiri Lastovicka chooses it, Shanghai- a renowned internatioanlly-influenced city, for his first 2-person teapot show.
Jiri, born in 1949, is a sculptor and designer from Prague. He is primarily involved with porcelain and industrial design. After finishing the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague in 1974, he started his designer’s career in the Lesov Development center. Between 1981 and 1992, he was employed in the Institute of Housing and Clothing Culture in Prague, while at the same time he continued his work for the porcelain producer in Karlovy Vary. From 1992 Jiri has been working as a designer for the firm Porcela Plus a.s. As a sculptor he is mainly concerned with porcelain figurative sculpture. Jiri has been designing porcelain for more than 30 years. The porcelain sets are produced by Thun Karlovarsky Porcelan. From 1998 he has been a member of IAC (International Academy of Ceramic). A number of his works have been awarded prizes by the Czech Design Center. He has exhibited in the Czech Republic and abroad.
Another exhibited arist, Hwang Jeng-daw, born in Taiwan, is an internationally acclaimed teapot-maker. He has traveled to more than 30 countries, and has been guest artist at various universities, art centers and city governments in many countries such as United Kingdom, China, France, Poland, Czech, Estonia, Korea, Lithuania, Norway, the United States, and New Zealand. His works are also widely collected by many museums worldwide, such as “the George R. Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art” in Canada, “American Museum of Ceramic Art” in USA, “Faenza International Ceramics Museum” in Italy, “Zhenjiang Museum” and “Wuxi Museum” in China, “Boleslawiec Ceramics Museum” in Poland, “Tallinn Applied Art Museum” in Estonia, and “Nottingham Castle Museum” in England.
The followings are some of Hwang Jeng-daw’s feelings collected throughout his teapot-making career.
1. Teapots show us different ways and we also give teapots different appearances.
2. Drinking tea is not only a way of life, but also a belief in the life of art.
3. If you cannot make a good teapot, reflect upon the Confucian teachings. If you make a great teapot, reflect upon the Buddhist teachings. If this doesn’t work, reflect upon the Taoist teachings.
This 2-person teapot show, recommended by Hwang Jeng-daw, is hold by KING Space Gallery, with the assistance of Shanghai Deshi Corporatiion Ltd.. Both of Jiri Lastovicka and Hwang Jeng-daw are full of excitment and expectance from this exhibition, and hope to bring people a new art experience, as well as a culturally visual impact.
