Humans of China: "This Is the Last Place in China You Can Find This Type of Handcraft"

This article comes from Humans of China (WeChat ID: humans-of-china), which aims to document and tell the stories of the many varied people of this vast country, one individual at a time. This time, Hack interviews a lady from Jiangxi.

I’ve been painting for about 50 years and I started at the age of 16. When I was younger, in the '60s and '70s, I had no chance to study. Like a lot of people at the time and like many of our parents, we went to work in the ceramics industry, either making or painting pottery.

I started working in a factory that was owned and run by the government, and there were some amazing painters who worked there. They taught me how to paint, and out of respect, I would call them "master." My mother made pottery and then my father would paint what she made. He also helped and taught me when I was younger.

I can paint on teapots, plates, vases, and just about any other type of ceramics. I can also paint on paper which is a little easier. I still really enjoy this job. It’s very peaceful and I guess I can call it my hobby, as well as my job. I now work in a park where tourists can visit and watch us in action. This is the last place in China you can find this type of handcraft.

Sometimes people also buy the things I’ve painted, or if they want something painted, they can ask me and I’ll paint it. I often paint animals on plates, usually the 12 animals from the Chinese zodiac. Each plate takes about 10 days and they can sell for RMB 6,800 each.

I can only read and write very basic characters, so someone else will write the letters after I’ve finished painting. I am a very patient lady. For this job you need patience!

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Photos: Cameron Hack