美国加州举行中国现代紫砂艺术大师作品展
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2009年10月20日，一场名为“神器：中国现代紫砂艺术大师作品展”（Spiritual Vessels: Chinese Teaware by Modern Masters of the Zisha）的中国文化展示活动在美国加利福尼亚东海湾州立大学艺术馆开幕。此次展览为美国观众呈现了63件精美绝伦的宜兴紫砂作品，这63件参展作品来源于美国境内主要的现代紫砂壶收藏机构和个人，藏品包括中国工艺美术大师顾绍培、鲍志强、吕尧臣、徐秀棠、谭泉海、李昌鸿，江苏省工艺美术大师毛国强、储立之、沈遽华，江苏省工艺美术名人沈汉生，国家级高级工艺美术师华健，国家级工艺美术师吴奇敏、汤杰、顾婷、储峰、顾勤，国家级助理工艺美术师顾涛、董健等人作品。
据悉，这次展览是美国有史以来最大规模的中国现代紫砂壶艺术展览，由旅美汉学家弋阳范炳先生（Bing Fan YeYoung），加州州立大学艺术馆馆长葛瑞汉先生（LANIER GRAHAM）主持筹划，韩其楼先生撰写展览前言，加州州立大学人文学院，美国紫砂艺术协会，美国弋阳中国传统文化研究院联合举办。本展览的宗旨在于弘扬中国传统文化的实践精神，着眼于“学而有术”，强调中国学术研究中的“术”。当今全球精神文化正在变迁，人的健康意识剧增，人们寻求“绿色世界”和“精神家园”，饮茶行为已原本为精神行为，博大精深的中国茶精神与绚丽古朴的紫砂艺术必然走向世界成为解救当今世界精神和文化危机的法门之一。
TASTING CLOUDS: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE ZISHA TRADITION
In East Asia, drinking tea is more than simply drinking. Tea is considered a gift from Heaven, and thus deserving of considerable respect. In Japan, the tea ceremony is an elaborate process involving a very complex ritual. In China, the process of drinking tea is more simple and spontaneous, and places special focus on the teaware. For many centuries the Chinese have been drinking tea on a daily basis. Tea drinking, which began in China, is central to Chinese culture. In the words of Lin Yutang, "with a teapot a Chinese is happy wherever he is."
The handmade teaware in this exhibition comes from a rich cultural tradition known as the Zisha tradition. The word Zisha itself means "purple sand." It is a unique blend of elements found in only one place in the world - the Dingshu area of Yixing City, 120 miles northwest of Shanghai. Since the Ming Dynasty, five centuries ago, a fine Zisha pot has been worth its weight in gold. These pots are not only beautiful forms, which evoke rich associations, but the porous clay holds the essence of the tea within its walls. In time, one can brew a cup of tea from an empty pot.
The goal of the Zisha teapot maker is not merely to make a fine pot but to encourage each drinker with each sip to recall the intimate spiritual relationship that we have with the natural world. This comprehension of physical and metaphysical unity has been at the heart of Chinese thinking for thousands of years. Right understanding fosters right attitude. Right attitude structures right intention. And right intention leads the mind-heart toward oneness with the Tao, in other words toward Enlightenment.
Many modern societies have forgotten the meaning of this primal cluster of truths. That is a large part of the reason that many modern people are spiritually unbalanced and use advanced technology to rape the natural world in mindless ways. China's Zisha masters quietly remind the modern world of what must not be forgotten. We and the Earth are one. Today leading Zisha practitioners are considered "national treasures" in China. Museums compete for the best Zisha examples. And it is illegal for the precious Zisha clay to be exported.
We are fortunate to have as the Guest Curator of this exhibition Bing Fan YeYoung. He was born into the Ming Royal Family and was a professor of Chinese Art and Philosophy in China before moving to the United States in 1989. In 1999 he settled in Sacramento where he teaches the traditional arts of China: visual arts (calligraphy & painting), poetry, philosophy (Laozi & Confucius), meditation (qi gong & tai chi), divination (I Ching & Feng shui), and ancient music. He also conducts research on the Art of Tea, Neidan & Taijiquan, I Ching & Feng shui Divinations.
Master YeYoung special knowledge of Zisha teaware and his friendship with its living masters is such that he has been asked by the University of Bejing to write a definitive study. Under his guidance, this exhibition and the exhibition catalogue he has written are being co-sponsored by the American Association of Yixing Art and YeYoung Culture Studies.
Lanier Graham
Director
University Art Gallery, CSUEB
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