Tan Zhijian
Master of Ceramic Art, Jiangsu Province (inaugural recipient, 2011)
Jiangsu Craft and Art Notable
Senior Process Engineer
Provincial Representative Inheritor of Jiangsu Intangible Cultural Heritage – “Yixing Celadon Making Technique”
President, Yixing Celadon Art Research Institute
President, Celadon Branch of Yixing Ceramics Industry Association
Founder of “Tanqing Kiln Art”
Adjunct Professor, Nanjing Tech University
Adjunct Professor, Wuxi Vocational Institute of Arts & Technology
Guest Professor, Jingdezhen Ceramic University
Born in 1954 in Yixing, Jiangsu, Tan Zhijian entered the ceramics industry at the age of 17. He furthered his expertise with a bachelor’s degree in Ceramic Engineering from Nanjing Tech University (1975–1978), mastering the complete ceramic production process.
From 1988 to 1992, he served as Director of Jiangsu Yixing Celadon Factory. He has since led or contributed to the design, development, and industrial production of several major ceramic varieties known as the “Five Golden Flowers” of the Ceramic Capital.
In 2007, Tan spearheaded the revival of Yixing celadon firing techniques, which had been dormant for over a decade. His efforts earned him the “Special Contribution Award for Restoring Yixing Celadon Craft Production” from the Yixing Municipal Government in 2008 and the “Contribution Award for the Revival and Development of Chinese Historical Kilns” from the China Ceramic Industry Association in 2019.
Currently, Tan serves as Vice President of the Yixing Ceramics Industry Association and President of the Yixing Celadon Association. Regarded as a leading figure in Yixing celadon, he has nurtured numerous inheritors of celadon craftsmanship and mentored many artistic backbones in the field.
