yixing teapot master Jiang Yihua 蒋艺华
Jiangsu Provincial Ceramic Art Notable (3rd cohort, 2023)
Professor-level Senior Arts and Crafts Artist
Professor-level Senior Artisan for Rural Revitalization
Born in Yixing, Jiangsu, in 1963, Jiang Yihua is the daughter of Jiang Rong 蒋蓉, a Chinese Arts and Crafts Master. In 1981, she entered the apprentice training class of the Zisha Art Pottery Factory, where she studied the basic techniques of zisha forming under her teachers Gao Lijun 高丽君 and Ji Yishun 季益顺. In 1984, she entered the research institute to study with her mother, Jiang Rong, and also received guidance from many renowned masters. In 1988, she went to the Central Academy of Arts and Crafts in Beijing for further study, where she learned basic ceramic modeling theories and design concepts, which greatly inspired her thinking on ceramic art creation. In 2012, she attended the Tsinghua University Advanced Training Program in Zisha.
Jiang Yihua was strictly educated and trained by her mother, Master Jiang Rong, from an early age. Studying diligently and unassumingly at her mother’s side, she built a solid foundation in traditional craftsmanship step by step. Through decades of rigorous practice and dedicated research, she has gained considerable insight into the making of flower ware. Through continuous learning, she has further broadened her creative thinking. Her work “Lotus Leaf Overhead-Handle Teapot” is greatly admired by collectors. She carefully incised the leaf veins, used a rolled leaf as the spout to ensure smooth pouring, and used a thorny leaf stalk as the handle. By conceiving and refining natural forms, she created a teapot that is both practical and aesthetically pleasing. Jiang Yihua has inherited the artistic style and characteristics of her mother. She is skilled in making flower ware and also makes plain ware. Her works are novel in conception, graceful in form, and exquisite in workmanship, demonstrating a high artistic level. Many of her works have been collected by collectors in China and abroad.
