"The leader in porcelain, Moli pottery", when it comes to the high-temperature kiln to turn pastel ink, there is a master who can be described as a household name, known as the first person of pastel and ink porcelain, he is Li Wenyue, the representative inheritor of the national intangible cultural heritage Jingdezhen handmade porcelain skills pastel, and the master of Chinese arts and crafts.
Li Wenyue, whose name is Yingcheng, is a native of Moli Tao, born in 1959 in a family of ceramics in Jingdezhen. At the age of 17, he studied art with his father and entered the state-owned art porcelain factory, one of the top ten porcelain factories in Jingdezhen, and studied under Zhang Wenchao, a famous porcelain portrait painter at that time, focusing on porcelain plate portrait painting. In 1981, he was admitted to Jingdezhen Ceramic Staff University (now merged into Jingdezhen College) for further study in ceramic art and design, and after graduating in 1984, he was assigned to the Art Porcelain Factory Art Research Institute where ceramic art masters and masters gathered, specializing in the design and creation of pastel art porcelain.
As a master of Chinese arts and crafts, a representative inheritor of the national intangible cultural heritage skills pastel, and a master of handicrafts in the Asia-Pacific region, he enjoys a special allowance. Master Li Wenyue is good at pastel, ink, high temperature glaze and other painting techniques, the pastel decoration powder soft elegance and ink color porcelain painting art elegant and pure artistic characteristics into the expression of ceramic painting, innovation and enrichment of the language of ceramic painting, on the basis of the traditional pastel porcelain art to create "pastel ink porcelain". In 2000, his work "Pastoral" was selected for the "First World Chinese Art Exhibition" held by People's Pictorial at the National Art Museum of China.
Li Wenyue's high-temperature color glaze pastel works "Pastoral" and "Water Town" have successively won the Jiangxi Provincial People's Excellent Scientific and Technological Progress Award and the China Ceramic Association Innovation Design Award. In 2011, the Shenzhou-8 spacecraft docked with Tiangong-1 on board Li Wenyue's pastel-ink "Flying Sky" porcelain plate drawing. His works run through a holistic spirit, with a strong oriental charm, without pretentiousness, frivolity and flashiness. Mr. Wang Xiliang, a master of Chinese arts and crafts and a master of porcelain, spoke highly of Professor Li Wenyue's pastel-ink porcelain, saying that his works "have the aura of literati paintings, without the craftsmanship of pen painting craftsmen, which can be described as true and simple".
Master Li Wenyue's ancestral home is in Gansu and has a deep emotional connection with the Silk Road. The Silk Road is not only a geographical passage, but also Li Wenyue's spiritual hometown, and he has always had a soft spot for the Silk Road. Over the years, he has created a series of porcelain paintings along the Silk Road. In 2006, Li Wenyue became one of the masters of Chinese arts and crafts with a pastel ink color "Qufu Three Holes".
In September and October 2013, the "New Silk Road Economic Belt" and the "21st Century Maritime Silk Road" national top-level cooperation initiative was launched. Jingdezhen Chinese Ceramics Museum took the lead in responding to the national policy and launched the creation of the "Belt and Road" ceramic theme. In 2021, Li Wenyue created a porcelain panel painting of the pastel work "Western Regions" as the beginning of the "Belt and Road". In 2022, Li Wenyue went on to create "Song of the Silk Road", innovating a new picture scroll of the "Silk Road" on porcelain.
Recently, led by the Jingdezhen Chinese Ceramics Museum and the National Ceramic Copyright Trading Center, combined with the Jingdezhen Intangible Cultural Heritage Research and Protection Center, the Ceramic Professional Committee of the Chinese Culture Promotion Association, and the National Ceramic Product Quality Inspection and Testing Center, the "Belt and Road" ceramic art masterpiece - "Silk Road Style" porcelain king Shuangzun was grandly launched in Jingdezhen.
Silk Road Style" Porcelain King Shuangzun with its grand scale and exquisite craftsmanship, shows the prosperity of the ancient Silk Road. This work is not only a tribute to history, but also a beautiful hope for the future. Through this work, it is as if you can see the scene of ancient caravans crossing the desert and grassland, exchanging culture and goods with other countries along the way.
"Silk Road Style" porcelain king double statue was created by Li Wenyue, a master of Chinese arts and crafts, the first person of Jingdezhen's "big pastel", and the creator of the "Belt and Road" trilogy. As an outstanding ceramic artist and educator, Li Wenyue fused the softness of pastel porcelain with the beauty and elegance of ink-colored porcelain, and created a unique "pastel-ink porcelain" decoration. His works are profound, innovative, emotional, and natural, and are highly praised by industry experts and collectors. This work is the best tribute to the "Belt and Road" initiative, and it is also a brilliant display of Chinese ceramic art on the world stage.
Silk Road Style" Porcelain King Shuangzun is based on the "Chinese Porcelain King", integrating a variety of glaze colors and craftsmanship, showing the historical style of the land and maritime Silk Road, and reflecting the domineering and profound historical heritage of Chinese ceramics. As the first Belt and Road commemorative porcelain with the grand scenery of the ancient Silk Road as the main picture of the bottle, the work of "Silk Road Style" porcelain king double statue was selected as a selected project of the 2023 Jingdezhen International Porcelain Expo.
Recently, in the auction market, the first "Silk Road Style" porcelain king Shuangzun was sold at a sky-high price of 3.75 million. In addition, the works have also been presented to the "Belt and Road" countries as a national gift, and have been collected by museums and art institutions related to the ceramic industry in Jingdezhen.
Li Wenyue's works have attracted much attention in the auction market and have repeatedly set new records. In 2021, Li Wenyue's pastel-ink porcelain "Cattle Ranching" was sold at auction at a sky-high price of 3.2 million yuan, becoming a hot spot at that time. This work uses the unique technique of pastel and colored porcelain to show the leisure and tranquility of cattle herding. In 2023, Li Wenyue's other masterpiece "Song of the Silk Road" will be sold at auction again for 3.05 million yuan, and he perfectly integrates the historical features of the Silk Road with personal emotions, presenting a vivid and emotional picture in the form of porcelain paintings. Recently, the first exhibition work of "Silk Road Style" porcelain Wang Shuangzun auctioned at the Four Seasons Auction in Beijing was sold at a sky-high price of 3.75 million, which not only reflects Li Wenyue's unique use and innovation of pastel porcelain, but also represents the pinnacle of Chinese ceramic art.