Tan Yuewei
Provincial Master of Arts and Crafts of Jiangsu (2016, 6th Session)
Senior Craft Artist
Master of the Nation
Chinese Traditional Craft Master
Chinese Zisha Artist
Top Ten Artisans in Jiangsu Light Industry
Municipal Intangible Cultural Heritage Representative Inheritor of Wuxi
Visiting Scholar at the Chinese National Academy of Arts
Shanghai Xingrui Master of Arts and Crafts
Council Member of Jiangsu Light Industry Association
Council Member of Yixing Arts and Crafts Association
Guest Professor at Jingdezhen Ceramic University
Born in 1959 in Yixing, Jiangsu, Tan Yuewei (谈跃伟) entered Yixing Zisha Pottery Factory in 1978, where he studied under Gao Lijun, a disciple of veteran artist Zhu Kexin. In 1981, he apprenticed with Lü Yaochen (China Master of Arts and Crafts), honing a solid foundation in Zisha shaping. His works pursue graceful forms and exquisite craftsmanship, excelling in plain, sculptural, and ribbed designs, with a specialty in shaping natural forms such as pine, bamboo, and plum.
In 1983, his designed set “Small Tall-Bowl Liquor Set” was selected by China’s then-Foreign Minister Qiao Guanhua as a national gift. In 1988, he furthered his studies at the Central Academy of Arts and Design. In 1991, in collaboration with master landscape painter Lu Yanshao, he created works such as “Du Fu’s Poetic Sense,” “Hundred Scenes Pot,” and “Bolang Hammer Pot,” which are now in the permanent collections of the Hong Kong Museum of Tea Ware, the British Museum, and several U.S. state museums. In September 2001, Shanghai Oriental Television produced a special feature about him. In 2005, his “Han Bamboo Pot” was collected and displayed by the Purple Light Pavilion of Zhongnanhai and the State Council. To date, over twenty of his works have been permanently collected by museums and institutions both in China and abroad. In 2015, he was recognized as a Representative Inheritor of Yixing Municipal Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Since 2008, he has been consecutively appointed by the Wuxi Municipal Personnel Bureau as a judge for intermediate professional title evaluations in the arts and crafts sector. He has also served multiple times as a judge for competitions such as the Jiangsu Ceramics Industry Association’s professional training programs and the Handmade Pottery Contest at ceramic art training bases.
The world within a Zisha teapot is vast, and the involvement of the literati adds rich narratives to its culture. The highest expression of Zisha culture lies in the mutual enhancement between renowned teapots and paintings. Throughout history, celebrated Zisha artisans have considered it a great honor to collaborate with distinguished artists and scholars. Such partnerships are built on mutual appreciation, harmonious resonance, and shared growth. However, masters are often highly selective when cooperating with Zisha artists. Tan Yuewei’s collaborations with over twenty esteemed artists—including Lu Yanshao, Tang Yun, Cheng Shifa, Chen Peiqiu, Su Shishu, Fan Yang, and Jiang Hongwei—speak to his strong reputation and influential standing within the Zisha community.
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