Ancient alchemy of earth and fire

A Longquan native, Ji, 29, works in a city renowned worldwide for its celadon porcelain. She is among a new generation of artists bringing a contemporary sensibility to the lustrous, creamy textures that distinguish Longquan ware.

Last Saturday, she spoke at a forum at Tsinghua University Art Museum in Beijing, where artists shared their distinctive approaches to ceramics. Through photographs and videos, she introduced her latest creations, including Basket, a hollowed sculpture that tests the limits of her craftsmanship, and Childhood Memories, an installation of porcelain straw hats that evokes parental love.

Ji said she continues to discover the power of persistence in her work. "After a dozen processes, a piece may still be ruined in the final stage of firing. I've come to understand that my work is not about succeeding, but starting over again the next day."

It is this persistence, repeated across generations, that has kept Longquan's ceramic tradition alive. A fine example of the craft stands on display just outside the room where Ji spoke about her fascination with celadon.