Young Artists in Jingdezhen: Crafting Livelihoods and Dreams from Clay

Who would have thought that Jingdezhen, a small fourth-tier city that sounds like a “quiet hideaway off the beaten path,” is actually bursting with young people like us who “break all the rules”? We’ve flocked here from every corner of China—not to snap photos at viral tourist spots, nor to chase the glitz of big cities. Our one and only goal: to throw ourselves into clay, and shape our own “livelihoods” with creativity.

Every day, we hang around kilns, kneading wild ideas into mud to make one-of-a-kind handcrafted ceramics. We sell them to cover our living costs, leading a life that’s “down-to-earth but utterly addictive.”

Let’s be clear: coming to Jingdezhen is no “second-best option”—it’s our deliberate “strategic escape”! Back in the cubicles of big cities, we drowned in workplace misery: KPIs hung over us like a curse, anxieties about job security and layoffs loomed daily, we grew numb to PUA tactics, working overtime until midnight was routine, and our paychecks were paper-thin. We couldn’t stand being “pushed around” anymore, nor wasting our youth on jobs we hated. So we packed our bags and ran. Jingdezhen is a place where you can make money doing what you love—no need to curry favor with bosses. It’s a true “spiritual sanctuary” for workers!

Chasing Artistic Dreams in Clay

Many of us came here with “artistic dreams.” Most of us graduated from art-related majors and are head-over-heels in love with ceramics. We’ve always believed our wildest ideas can only truly shine through clay.

As soon as we arrived, we became apprentices, learning to throw clay on the wheel, apply glaze, and fire kilns from master craftsmen. We didn’t complain even when our hands turned calloused. Once our skills were polished, we let our creativity run free: we blend modern design concepts with traditional ceramics, creating pieces that are both textured and full of personality. Each one is our little source of pride—something that “refuses to be boxed in.”

Guarding Traditional Crafts, With a Youthful Twist

Then there’s the group of us “heritage guardians,” completely captivated by Jingdezhen’s 1,000-year-old porcelain culture. Time-honored techniques like Kong Yaobian (random kiln transformations that create unique, unrepeatable patterns) and relief carving are more appealing to us than trendy milk tea.

We willingly slow down, learning bit by bit from veteran artisans to fully master the crafts passed down by our ancestors. Then we quietly add a touch of youthful ingenuity—making these old crafts feel “fresh, not outdated.” They keep the soul of tradition while winning over young audiences.

A “Clay World” of Unlimited Creativity

In Jingdezhen’s “clay community,” our works are a vibrant “blossom of styles”—all about “creating freely.”

• Want to rant about work? We make the “Spiky Series”: little ceramics covered in tiny spines that scream “Stay Away,” emblazoned with messages like “Reject Involution” and “Hate Going to Work.” They’re the perfect “emotional outlet ceramics” for young people.
• Love cute things? We shape mugs and decorations into chubby pandas and soft bunnies, turning cold ceramic into irresistibly adorable pieces that make peers reach for their wallets.
• Want to show off skills? We pull out our best tricks, using Kong Yaobian and relief carving to make art. The patterns that emerge after firing are like “opening a blind box”—full of surprises. When we finish a piece, we can’t help but feel like “artists chosen by clay.”

We’re just like the clay in Jingdezhen’s kilns: plain and ordinary at first, but each piece shines in its own unique way after firing. With our hands, we carve our complaints about life, our passions, and our wild ideas into every ceramic’s texture. We want to support ourselves with these “mud creations,” but more than that—we want the world to see them. Ideally, they’ll travel overseas, so everyone knows: ceramics made by young Chinese people are cool, creative, and full of soul!

The Future: Passion Fuels the Kiln

In the future, we’ll keep hanging around kilns—tussling with clay, living life to the fullest, and using these warm, handcrafted ceramics to “high-five” like-minded people everywhere. We’ll press the truth into every piece: “Passion can sustain you through the long years.”