According to one Taiwanese folk saying, “For the training of craftsmanship, the hardest kind is the carving of dragon pillar, the next hardest is the making of ceramics.” The elder potter Lin Tien-fu, also known as Tien-fu Master, is eighty-six years old this year. Born in Nan-tun, Taichung, in 1926, Lin grew up surrounded by ceramics, his grandfather being the owner of the Lin Zhen-xin Ceramic Factory. Learning the techniques of ceramics when 13 years old, taking up potter's work when 14 years old, Tien-fu Master has a deep emotional relationship with this land. Having been creating ceramic works and establishing kilns for more than seventy years, he is part of the ceramic history of Taiwan.
As a descendent of Taiwan traditional ceramic industry, Lin has devoted himself to the production of daily-life ceramics for more than twenty years. Witnessing the rise and fall of traditional ceramic industry in Taiwan, Lin begins his attempt to blend the craftsmanship and artistic innovation of ceramics, embodying his enthusiasm and passion for this land with his creations. His works reflect the transition from daily-life utensils to artistic ceramics and record the history of the development of Taiwan ceramics.
Lin plays an important role in establishing the aesthetics of traditional ceramic craftsmanship and consolidating the lineage of traditional ceramic culture. His Long-necked Vase series are innovative experiments based on traditional Chinese floral utensils. Evolving from ceramic artisan to ceramic artist, the eighty-six-year-old Lin Tien-fu still worked hard to prepare new works for this exhibition. His person and his work set up a model for the younger generations of potters. While facing the ups and downs of the traditional ceramic industry, Tien-fu master is happy and fortunate because he personally founded the “Chu-nan Snake Kiln,” embraced the trend of wood-fired ceramics, and had a son and a daughter-in-law, the ceramic artist Juei-hua and the field worker Shu-hui, who collaborate with him to pass on this beacon of traditional culture.
“The production of every age, the ceramic art of every age, is different. We need to know the age and its rich aspects of culture through this artistic production,” so said Master Lin's daughter-in-law Shu-hui. On the occasion of the 100th Founding Anniversary of ROC, we would like to express our respect to Lin for his work in maintaining the traditional culture of ceramics. Moreover, we would also like to express our wishes for Tien-fu Master's longevity and fortune, to pay tribute to his contribution to the Taiwan ceramics, and to inspire audience to understand and cherish the importance of the Taiwan ceramic industry.
