NANCHANG — The 2026 Congress of the International Academy of Ceramics opened in the eastern Chinese city of Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province, on Sunday, attracting international ceramic artists and experts to explore the theme of "Inheritance and Innovation".
The Geneva-based International Academy of Ceramics is holding the event in Jingdezhen, China's ancient porcelain capital, with a porcelain-making history spanning over 1,700 years.
The event features a series of activities, including keynote speeches, academic seminars and international exhibitions. During the event, participants will discuss preserving tradition while opening new paths for creation, sustainability and technology.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Oriol Calvo Verges, president of the IAC, highlights the significance of the event's theme.
"In recent decades, China has shown that ceramics can be much more than a heritage to preserve. Ceramics can also be a powerful force for urban regeneration, education, tourism, innovation, industry, artistic creation and international dialogue," he says.
He adds that Jingdezhen is an exceptional place where heritage is visible everywhere, including in the kilns and workshops, while innovation thrives everywhere — in exhibitions and new creative districts, for example.
Chen Kelong, secretary of the Jingdezhen Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, says the city is building itself into a national demonstration zone for the inheritance and innovation of ceramic culture.
Attendees agree that Jingdezhen is captivating young enthusiasts from around the world with its openness and inclusivity.
Chen also notes that Jingdezhen has established partnerships with over 180 cities in more than 70 countries, and that artists and ceramists from over 50 countries and regions have settled in the city to create and work.
Australian artist Fleur Schell says that Jingdezhen's scale and comprehensive ceramic industrial chain have drawn many of her friends and colleagues from Australia to work in the city. "It feels like anything is possible," she says. "You can make anything in ceramics."
Donald Wayne Higby, an emeritus professor of ceramic art at Jingdezhen Ceramic University who first visited Jingdezhen in 1992, shared his deep affection for the city. "People used to call this 'the city of porcelain'. I say it's also 'the city of possibility'," Higby says.
"I have returned to Jingdezhen every year, sometimes even three or four times a year, since 1992," he adds. "I meet young artists here who inspire me tremendously."
Beyond inspiration, the artist emphasizes the role ceramics play in fostering international exchange, serving as a "common language" that transcends cultural boundaries.
Pu Shouzhi, Party secretary of Jingdezhen Ceramic University, echoed this sentiment, noting that the event aims to connect the wisdom of the East and the West. "We look forward to using ceramic culture as a bridge to let the millennia-old porcelain charm transcend mountains and seas," Pu says.
Since the Song Dynasty (960-1279), ceramics crafted in Jingdezhen have been exported to Central Asia, West Asia, Europe, and Africa. Today, the city still retains its global appeal, drawing more than 5,000 ceramic enthusiasts from around the world at peak times.
"Let us remember the past, but let us also imagine the future," says Verges, adding that Jingdezhen reminds people that ceramics can carry memory, beauty, identity, and hope across centuries.
