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Ming Tombs, Nanjing China
Introduction
My name is Jia-Yuan Li. I am a San Francisco based ceramics potter; my journey with clay started in 2012, with the teachers and students of the Sharon Art Studio, in Golden Gate Park. The inspiration for my pottery comes from the art and traditions of East Asia, its mythologies and cultures. I am inspired by the stories told to me as a child by my father, my father's calligraphy, my mother's watercolor paintings, and the sights and sounds of California. I am also inspired by the pieces in museums that I saw in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the National Palace Museum in Taiwan, Shanghai Museum East, National Museum of Korea in Seoul and the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.
The 5-kilns that I refer to in the name of this website comes from the famous 5 Great Imperial Kilns of ancient China, the sources of classic ceramics designs that capture the culture of dynasties and the inspiration of many modern modes . https://www.christies.com/en/stories/glazes-a-chinese-ceramics-collectors-guide-86302474ea03458fbb1bfc02bef58159
Every piece on this website is made by hand from beginning to end, without any molds. Therefore, every piece is unique and there will never be two that are identical. I also do not make pieces in large batches so the supply is always limited. Most pieces are made on a potter's wheel, trimmed, and hand-carved. Other pieces are built entirely by hand. The pieces are then bisque fired, glazed and then they undergo high-fire to bring out the brilliance of the glazes. The blue celadon pieces, including many that are carved, are made from the whitest porcelain clay that shows off the bright clear light blue glaze. Pieces with other colors are made from darker clay. The interplay of the color of the clay and the minerals in the glazes produces the jewel-like quality on these pieces.
Administrator's Garden, Suzhou, China
Carved Celadon Porcelain
Power Seeking Wisdom
The dragon is a symbol of power, strength and authority throughout the Far East. The carving on this vase depicts a dragon looking for its pearl, which is sitting on a cloud just to the upper right side of the vase, almost at his finger tip. This pot was glazed in a very light blue celadon. The pattern where the glaze pooled gives this piece an iridescent quality.
The Lotus Bud
This is a bud base in the shape of a lotus blossom, a powerful symbol in Buddhism. The lotus bud starts its life in the bottom of the pond, in the dirty mud. As the lotus grows, it slowly reaches for the sunlight until one day, it emerges onto the surface to water and bloom in its full glory. The lesson from the lotus is that no matter how difficult your current circumstance is, as long as you keep reaching for the sun, you will shine in your success.
Cloud Illusions
I love the pattern of clouds in the sky. This vase is carved with stylized clouds modeled after ones found in the artwork of the Far East. This type of clouds can be found on various object d' art throughout the centuries from Tibetan weavings to Chinese paintings to Korean celadons to modern Japanese manga.
Gourds
Gourds
In Chinese culture, the gourd is a symbol of good luck, fertility and health. It is carried by the Li Tie Guai, one of the Eight Immortals in the Taoist pantheon. Li TieGuai often depicted as an old crippled beggar with an iron crutch and a gourd in his hand from which he dispenses a special medicine to relieve sickness and suffering, especially that of the poor. Li TieGuai is the embodiment of compassion and empathy and he lives in service of others. He is also rough on the outside, soft on the inside. Perhaps he reminds you of someone you know.
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