On an upper floor of a modern building, the space opens into a vast and airy studio where sunlight pours through tall windows. This is a working hub for artists from around the world. Scattered across the room are worktables — each one is a small universe of its own, having its own rhythm and its own conversation between artist and clay. All of them share the same address: Taoxichuan, Jingdezhen's sprawling cultural district built on the site of the former Universe Porcelain Factory.
On July 25, the Jingdezhen Handicraft Porcelain Industry Sites were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, becoming China's 61st World Heritage site and the first centered on porcelain. For the thousands of foreign artists who have settled in this city of 1.62 million people, the recognition came as no surprise.
Jingdezhen is home to more than 60,000 jingpiao— artists, designers and makers who have migrated to the porcelain capital, including thousands from more than 60 countries. Since 2015, Taoxichuan has been inviting artists from a variety of countries and regions through its residency programs, offering three-month stays at its international studio to more than 3,600 artists, according to Xinhua News Agency.
Svetlana K-Liee, an artist from Russia who had been living in England since 2006, first came to Jingdezhen three years ago for a number of short residencies. "Each time was not enough," she says. "Finally, after my third residency, which lasted three months, I decided to move here."
