The “Tempering by Earth and Fire – Black Pottery Art Exhibition of Shandong and Qinghai Provinces”, jointly organised by the Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs Office of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR Government, the Shandong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism and Qinghai Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, co-organised by the Department of Publicity and Culture of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR, and coordinated by the Centre for Ethnic and Folk Literature and Art Development of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, will be inaugurated on 6 February (Tuesday), at 6:30pm, at Tap Seac Gallery. The inauguration is open to the public in general. In order to let the public have a better understanding of the black pottery culture, the workshop “Explore Prehistoric Black Technology – Understand China through Black Pottery” will be held on 24 and 25 February. Admission is free and all are welcome to participate.
Shandong black pottery is made with exquisite firing techniques. It not only has a profound history, but also features modern stylish elements. With its simple and splendid appearance, delicate and hard texture, the Shandong black pottery fully demonstrates the creativity and expressiveness of people. The Tibetan black pottery of Qinghai is the crystallisation of Tibetan and Han Chinese cultures. It features a rich variety of shapes and categories, and has the value in functionality, appreciation and craftsmanship.
The “Tempering by Earth and Fire – Black Pottery Art Exhibition of Shandong and Qinghai Provinces” features a selected collection of over 140 pieces/sets that showcase pottery firing techniques (Dezhou black pottery firing technique and Tibetan black pottery firing technique), a representative item of the two provinces’ national intangible cultural heritage, presenting a diverse range of time-honoured black pottery works of Shandong and Qinghai provinces in a novel, intriguing and interactive way.
In addition, in order to allow the public to have a better understanding of the black pottery culture, four sessions of the workshop “Explore Prehistoric Black Technology – Understand China through Black Pottery” will be held, in which master craftsman Liu Xuan from Shandong Province, a representative inheritor of the Qihe black pottery technique, will introduce this pottery culture and works, pottery making technique demonstrations and experiences, guiding the participants into the world of black pottery. The workshops, conducted in Mandarin, will be held on 24 and 25 February, from 10am to 12pm and from 3pm to 5pm, in the activity room of the Xian Xinghai Memorial Museum. 16 vacancies are available for each session. Admission is free. Residents aged 16 or above are welcome to register through “Activity applications” of the Macao One Account (activity.mo.gov.mo/activity-h5/activity-list-web) from 10am on 7 February. If the number of applicants exceeds the maximum limit, selection will be made by drawing lots, and successful applicants will be notified by SMS.
The “Tempering by Earth and Fire – Black Pottery Art Exhibition of Shandong and Qinghai Provinces” will be held from 7 February to 10 March, at Tap Seac Gallery and is open daily from 10am to 7pm, including on public holidays. Admission is free.
For more information about the exhibition, please visit the Cultural Affairs Bureau’s website at www.icm.gov.mo.
