Twenty-Five Years of Shared Radiance

PREAMBLE

Steadfast in Exploration

The compassion and preservation of generations

In 1993, Chang Yi and I brought our creations in contemporary liuli to the Palace Museum at the Forbidden City in Beijing for the first time, presenting the Exhibition of Contemporary Chinese Liuli Art. At that time, the field of contemporary glass art was still a barren wasteland in China.

In 1996, LIULIGONGFANG established a studio in Shanghai. Four years later, we organized the International Exhibition of Contemporary Glass Art, presenting over 200 outstanding works by renowned artists from around the world. Shown at the China Millennium Monument in Beijing and the Shanghai Art Museum; the exhibition created a sensation and instilled a passion for glass art in young students.

In 2006, we founded the Liuli China Museum, which has consistently showcased exhibitions by internationally acclaimed glass artists. To this day, we have been steadfastly promoting glass art for almost 2 decades.

In 2000, the Academy of Arts & Design at Tsinghua University established the Glass Art Lab. In 2002, the "Glass Art Research Laboratory" was unveiled; Chang Yi and I were appointed as faculty advisors for the Department of Arts and Crafts to promote the preservation of glass craftsmanship. This marked the beginning of our collaborative exploration—exploring together and moving forward side by side. Professor Guan Donghai was one of the first scholars to delve deeply into glass art, and he became a crucial catalyst in the growth of this budding seed.

We have always believed that the arts and crafts must be handed down. Glass art requires immense resources and persistence. To witness a new generation of glass artists honour tradition even as they innovate and explore, their devotion to continuous creation is truly remarkable.

After twenty-five years, the Glass Art Lab at Tsinghua University has flourished. Today, the Liuli China Museum is privileged to present Professor Guan Donghai and the young artists he mentors, bringing to the public the fruits of twenty-five years of tireless cultivation. The exhibition celebrates not only the lineage of craft, but also the modern vitality of a younger generation.

We have always believed that liuli possesses a life of its own. It calls for compassion and preservation across the generations. May the world of glass art continue to inscribe ever more brilliant chapters of Chinese LIULI, lasting long into the future.

Loretta H. Yang

Twenty-Five Years of Shared Radiance

A Contemporary Glass Art Exhibition

Twenty-five years, one quarter of a century, have flown by in a blink of an eye.

In January of 2000, the Academy of Arts & Design at Tsinghua University took the lead in launching the contemporary Chinese glass art movement. It ignited the spark of something new and initiated creative development. As the saying goes, beginnings are the hardest. What was a godsend then, was the generous support from LIULIGONGFANG. With their sponsorship, a studio was built on the old campus of the Central Academy of Arts and Crafts. Maestros Chang Yi and Loretta H. Yang came to teach in person; Arnot (Lin Chih Ching) and Mr. Tseng (Tseng Chih Ming) were on hand for continued guidance. Though the conditions in those early years were extremely modest, the memories of working together remain vivid; we will never forget them.

During a lecture, Mr. Chang Yi once asked his students, “Think about it, how far will you go”? His voice still echoes in my ears. In the blink of an eye, we have come a quarter-century, and contemporary Chinese glass art has grown into a thriving scene. Along the way, many have embraced glass only to abandon it. Nevertheless, there are more and more young people who choose to devote themselves to their passion for glass these days. How far they will go in the future is no longer important! In the grand scheme, a life that has been enriched and made more radiant by glass, is already enough!

Over these two and a half dacades, I’ve lost count of the number of students I have taught. Like gold sifted from sand, those who persevere become true treasures. A great many of our graduates have continued their journey in glass after leaving Tsinghua - some pursuing further study, others building or establishing studios of their own. Most of the artists in this exhibition are such nuggets of precious gold, forging the conditions for their work and further research through sheer tenacity. With an unquenchable flame within, they have forged and refined their art, achieving remarkable accomplishments.

Today, the glass studio at Tsinghua is far from what it once was. Equipped with advanced facilities for kiln casting, blowing, lampworking, decoration, and cold working, it is now fully modernized. The last hectic years have led to fewer exchanges with LIULIGONGFANG, but the road ahead for Chinese glass art is still long, with much more to be discovered. This exhibition offers a valuable opportunity for us all to explore the future of glass art together. We are deeply grateful to our colleagues at LIULIGONGFANG for their tremendous dedication to making this exhibition possible.

It is a deep sorrow to us that Mr. Chang Yi is no longer with us. We can only honour his memory through our works.

With profound remembrance and respect for Mr. Chang Yi！

Guan Donghai

About the Artist