Chen Guoliang is a legendary contemporary Chinese purple sand pot making master, who began to work in Yixing Zisha Craft Factory in 1972 at the age of 18 and has been working hard in the purple sand industry for more than 50 years. The past 50 years can be said to be half a century of Chen Guoliang sharing the fate of Zisha, and he has always maintained his enthusiasm and dedication to Zisha production, as well as the spirit of continuous exploration and innovation.
Chen Guoliang was born in 1954 in Yixing, Jiangsu, China's "hometown of purple sand". As a teenager, Chen Guoliang grew up under the influence of Dongpo culture, and often listened to the legend of Xi Shi by the ancient dragon kiln, which laid the groundwork for him to draw inspiration from Zisha creation in the future. In 1972, Chen Guoliang entered the Zisha Craft Factory, first engaged in the production of simple utensils such as flower pots. In the 80s of the 20th century, Chen Guoliang began to transform into more complex purple clay pot creations. During this period, he chose to study with He Daohong, a master of purple sand, and benefited a lot. Later, he returned to the purple sand craft factory and served as an instructor for the younger generation, passing on his rich experience to the younger generation. In the process of teaching, Chen Guoliang is also constantly summarizing and sublimating his pot-making skills.
Chen Guoliang is a diligent and hard-working person, he not only works the purple sand production skills, but also improves his self-cultivation by learning classical literature, calligraphy and painting, etc., which provides a steady stream of inspiration for his purple sand creation. Chen Guoliang's works not only inherit the essence of traditional Chinese culture, but also continue to innovate on the basis of tradition. He is adept at taking inspiration from nature and the little things in life and turning them into unique works. For example, he once created a very challenging work of the same name based on the image of "Money Song". In the process of creation, Chen Guoliang showed extraordinary perseverance, and it took three months before and after to finally present the idea in his heart perfectly.
After the success, Chen Guoliang did not rest on his laurels, but remained humble and cautious and continued to move forward. He compares himself to a "passer-by" and has always been committed to opening up a new path for purple sand art. Friends who are familiar with Chen Guoliang know that he often sits in front of the mud bench every day, and devotes himself to the purple sand world with a youthful mentality and creative enthusiasm. What he pursues in his life is not only fame and fortune, but how to make his purple sand works more exquisite and pleasing to the eye. This spirit of indifference to fame and fortune and dedication to art is awe-inspiring.
Chen Guoliang has won numerous awards in his life, and has won the honorary titles of "Chinese Zisha Art Celebrity" and "Chinese Ceramic Art Master". But what makes him even more proud is that through half a century of efforts, he has created a unique "Chen Guoliangti" thin tire purple sand, known as "the first person to thin tires", pushing thin tire purple sand to a new height. Chen Guoliang used his life to perfectly interpret the spirit of a craftsman's persistent pursuit of art and unremitting exploration. He has left a strong mark on contemporary Chinese purple sand art, and with his story, he has inspired generations of followers to seek new breakthroughs between tradition and innovation.