A bowl of Taipei

YANG YONGLIANG 杨泳梁

A BOWL OF TAIPEI 一碗台北之

YANG YONGLIANG 杨泳梁

A BOWL OF TAIPEI 一碗台北之

Art IS THE food for the soul.

For more than 5000 years in Chinese culture potteryand ceramics have been an important part of culture. Since the very beginning of the Chinese civilization very refined artifacts have been produced by amazing artists.

As an artist who links tradition art and modern technology, Yang yongliang pays, in the “Bowl of Taipei” series, a special tribute to these roots of Chinese art.

In this series art becomes a symbol for the everlasting food for the soul.

Yang Yongliang sought for his inspiration in the exhibitions halls of the Shanghai Museum where treasures from the past times are displayed. Wandering through the alleys of masterpieces one can imagine Yang Yongliang being fascinated by centuries of tradition. Some things remain and never fade away. Despite the industrialization process, the modern path, the shattered dreams for some generation, culture remains.

“A Bowl of Taipei” is a bridge through time, linking all the best China has produced through 5000 years : from ancient porcelain to modern skyscrapers. Let’s hope all that will remain is the strong sense of composition one can also find in Chinese Ink paintings, the beauty and harmony of the shape of a bowl and the vision of a young contemporary artist.

Magda Danysz, January 2013

A Bowl of Taipei 1 / 一碗台北之一 Inkjet on fine art paper, 2013 140x140 cm, ed./3 100x100 cm, ed. /7

Jingdezhen ware Hongwu reign, 13681398- AD Ming

Jingdezhen ware Hongwu reign, 13681398- AD Ming Qingbai ("Blueish-white") glazed bowl with carved peony designs, Jingdezhen Jingdezhen ware (Chinese: 景德镇陶瓷) refers to ceramics, particularly porcelain, produced in the vicinity of Jingdezhen, China. Jingdezhen is believed to have produced pottery as early as the sixth century CE. Jingdezhen ware became particularly important from the Song period with the production of Qingbai (青白, "Blueish-white") ware. The Jingdezhen Qingbai was a transparent and jade-like type of porcelain, with a blueish-white glaze. Decoration was made by delicate carving or incising.

The earliest piece of Chinese porcelain documented to have reached Europe, was a Qingbai porcelain bottle from Jingdezhen, which arrived in Europe in the middle of the 14th century: the Fonthill vase.

Later, Jingdezhen produced Shufu ware, named after the two character inscription on some pieces. Shufu may mean the pieces were ordered for the Shumiyuan (Ministry of Defense). The Shufu pieces have a thick, somewhat opaque, glaze, almost white in color, with a faint blue-green tint.

From the mid-14th century, Jindezhen began to mass-produced underglaze blue porcelain. During the Ming period, official kilns for Imperial productions were established in Jingdezhen. The bowl used by Yang Yongliang as a source of inspiration with underglaze blue design of interlaced chrysanthemums flowers was achieved during the Hongwu reign, 13681398- Ming dynasty and is part of the Shanghai Museum collection.

With the Qing period, designs became more varied, combined folk and Imperial styles, and Jingdezhen ware became famous around the world.[1] Export were hampered after the French jesuit François Xavier d>Entrecolles visited Jingdezhen and wrote to Europe about its manufacturing secret between 1712 and 1720. From that point, European countries would start to rival Chinese porcelain productions, initially by imitating Chinese styles, and later by developing their own original artistic patterns.

Jingdezhen ware continues to be produced to this day, with Jingdezhen porcelain being shipped around the world.

The symbol of chrysanthemums Chrysanthemums, often called mums or chrysanths, are perennial flowering plants of the genus Chrysanthemum in the family Asteraceae which are native to Asia and northeastern Europe. About 30 species have been described.

The name «chrysanthemum» is derived from the Greek words, chrysos (gold) and anthemon (flower).

In chinese, 菊花,chrysanthemums were first cultivated in China as a flowering herb as far back as the 15th century BC. The plant is renowned as one of the Four Gentlemen in Chinese and East Asian art. The plant is particularly significant during the Double Ninth Festival. The flower may have been brought to Japan in the eighth century AD[citation needed], and the Emperor adopted the flower as his official seal.

The flower was brought to Europe in the 17th century.

In many countries, chrysanthemums are a beautiful reminder that autumn has arrived.

Cultural significance and symbolism : In some countries of Europe (e.g., France, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Poland, Hungary, Croatia), incurve chrysanthemums are symbolic of death and are used only for funerals or on graves, while other types carry no such symbolism; similarly, in China, Japan and Korea, white chrysanthemums are symbolic of lamentation and/or grief. In some other countries, they represent honesty. In the United States, the flower is usually regarded as positive and cheerful.

In China, the chrysanthemum is one of the «Four Gentlemen» (四君子) of China (the others being the plum blossom, the orchid, and bamboo). The chrysanthemum is said to have been favored by Tao Qian, an influential Chinese poet, and is symbolic of nobility.

It is also one of the four symbolic seasonal flowers.

A chrysanthemum festival is held each year in Tongxiang, near Hangzhou, China.

Chrysanthemums are the topic in hundreds of poems of China.

Chrysanthemums were first cultivated in China as a flowering herb as far back as the 15th century BC.

Taipei as a source of inspiration.

Taipei (臺北市 or 台北市) is the political, economic, and cultural centre of Taiwan.

The National Palace Museum which has one of the largest collections of Chinese artifacts and artworks in the world is located in Taipei. As a center for cultural heritage, the city is the symbol for art inspiration and the Chinese millennium culture. For this reason Yang Yongliang has always been drawn to the city. Taipei was founded in the early 18th century and became an important center for overseas trade in the 19th century.

A Bowl of Taipei 2 / 一碗台北之二 Inkjet on fine art paper, 2013 140x140 cm, ed./3 100x100 cm, ed. /7

Sunflower Petaloid Bowl With Reserved Underglazed Blue design of clouds and dragons Jingdezhen ware, Xudane reign, 1436 - 1435 Ming

The symbol of the sunflower The sunflower moves itself in the most direct position in front of the sun so it can get the maximum sun rays. This is symbolic of spiritual faith, and worship because we follow our belief system as the sunflower moves to face the life-giving rays of the sun.

The sunflower is the Greek symbol of Clytie (a water nymph) who turns into a sunflower after grieving over the loss of her love (Apollo). In Chinese symbolism, the sunflower (and sunflower meaning) deals with long life, good luck and is considered very auspicious.

Actually, the symbolism of water comes into play with sunflower meaning too. Water builds up in the cells of the shady side of the sunflower>s stem and pressure forces the blossoming head in a steady arc toward the direction of light. Water carries powerful symbolism of force, emotion, cleansing and purification.

Even in recent times, artist as Ai Wei Wei have used sunflower seeds as an inspiriation as in the much talked about “Sunflower Seeds” (2010) installation at the Tate Modern.

The Symbol OF THE CLOUDS Clouds were created between earth and heaven, they symbolise the celestial realm.

Clouds produce rain that brings benefits to the world. Clouds are also one of the most important elements in Chinese traditional paintings. Clouds are also symbols of celestial mobility because many gods and immortals used the cloud as a vehicle on which they traveled. Scrolling clouds are associated with deities, foretelling their arrival.

In Chinese mythology, dragons are believed to be able to create clouds with their breath. Dragons are associated with storm clouds and live giving rain.

«The chi of yin and yang breathes out as wind, rises up as clouds, descends as rain, and courses underground as vital energy».

THE Symbol OF Dragons Chinese dragons are legendary creatures in Chinese mythology and folklore. Chinese dragons traditionally symbolize potent and auspicious powers, particularly control over water, rainfall, hurricane, and floods. The dragon is also a symbol of power, strength, and good luck. With this, the Emperor of China usually used the dragon as a symbol of his imperial power and strength.

A Bowl of Taipei 3 / 一碗台北之三 Inkjet on fine art paper, 2013 140x140 cm, ed./3 100x100 cm, ed. /7

Black oil-drop Glazed Bowl, Huairen ware, Jin. AD 1115 - 1234

Black Porcelain in the Song to Yuan Dynasties In the four centuries from Song through Yuan, both north and south produced new varieties of black porcelain. The black-glazed “hare’s-fur” tea bowls made by the Jian kiln in Fujian province, with a pattern of radial streaks in the glossy black glazed, were especially favoured for tea-drinking games. Black glazed wares from northern kilns in Henan, Hebei, and Shanxi have spotted rather than streaked glaze and are called “oil-spot” or “oil-drop” wares. The hare’s-fur and oil-drop glazes are similar in process of formation, owing their patterning to iron crystals that from within the glazed as it cools.

A Bowl of Taipei 4 / 一碗台北之四 Inkjet on fine art paper, 2013 140x140 cm, ed./3 100x100 cm, ed. /7

Bowl with underglaze blue design of farming and weaving, JingdeZhen Ware, Kangxi reign, AD 1662 – 1722, Qing

A Bowl of Taipei 5 / 一碗台北之五 Inkjet on fine art paper, 2013 140x140 cm, ed./3 100x100 cm, ed. /7

Black pottery Dou with carved Pattern, Songze Culture, 3800- 3200 BC

The Songze culture, named after a village in Qingpu county, Shanghai, is a Neolithic culture of the region south of the lower Yangtze River. It has a red sandy pottery and a grayish-black pottery with less sand more clay. Shapes are varied and decorative techniques include modeling, impressing, painting, and openwork. The most characteristic design is a carved and incised weave pattern.

All Rights Reserved. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without written permission of the publisher.

Printed in the PRC. Published by : MD Editions

A bowl of Taipei is a limited edition catalogue published by Magda Danysz Gallery (Paris / Shanghai) & MD Editions on the occasion of the artist’s show in London with MD Gallery 2013 info@magda-gallery.com www.magda-gallery.com

YANG YONGLIANG 杨泳梁 A BOWL OF TAIPEI

一碗台北之

info@magda-gallery.com www.magda-gallery.com