Japanese porcelain master sets up studio in Cixi

A studio for Fumio Shimada (right) is founded at College of Science & Technology of Ningbo University in Cixi in October. [Photo/nbedu.gov.cn]

Fumio Shimada, a renowned Japanese master in porcelain art, set up a studio in Cixi, Zhejiang province in October. 

Professor Shimada, born in 1948, has dedicated himself to the research and creation of porcelain artworks for over 40 years. He is a master in the art of floral imagery on porcelain. His art pieces, based on skilled techniques and a good sense of aesthetics, enjoy great popularity around the world. 

Cixi is considered one of the birthplaces of China’s celadon culture and the discovery of several ancient kilns, including Shanglinhu kilns which were nominated as a potential UNESCO World Heritage site in 2016. 

Fourteen years ago, Shimada paid a visit to Shanglinhu with a delegation from Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs and had in-depth inspections into the recovery of porcelain debris. With the establishment of the new well-equipped studio, he will be able to do more experiments with local materials. 

“This is my first studio in China and I’ll spend three months every year in Cixi in teaching porcelain art and doing research on the local celadon culture,” Shimada said.