Zhao Family Kiln Introduction
Zhao Family Kiln, established in March 1988, is located in the Daya District of Taichung City. Its main products are ceramic tableware, with hand-painted lotus tea sets being a key feature. They intentionally distinguish their hand-painted ceramics from the general market, aiming to deepen and pass on local culture, hoping to promote and implement their knowledge into everyday life. The three brothers, Zhao Sheng-jie, Zhao Sheng-yong, and Zhao Chong-yuan, grew up in a family of craftsmen. Their grandfather (Zhao A-Jing) and father (Zhao Yi-hsiung) were wood craftsmen specializing in finely crafted wooden items exported to Japan, which inspired the brothers to pursue art studies. At school, they were exposed to various fields of art and craft, including sculpture, photography, ceramics, painting, and design. Coupled with the influence of their family's environment, they laid a solid foundation for their craft creation and developed a unique aesthetic experience that emphasizes "ceramics in everyday life." After graduating, the eldest brother, Zhao Sheng-jie, was recommended by his teacher to apprentice at the Jiji Tianxing Kiln. Fifteen years ago, Tianxing Kiln was transitioning from old to new, beginning to focus on life ceramics. During his two years at the kiln, Zhao Sheng-jie learned practical factory experiences such as wood firing and glazing. Eventually, he returned to his hometown in the Daya District of Taichung City to establish "Yu Tao Fang" for professional pottery making, opening a ceramic specialty store in a department store based on new-generation marketing concepts. As the company is a family-style ceramics business where the brothers create ceramics and communicate directly with consumers, and with the addition of his younger brothers, Zhao Sheng-yong and Zhao Chong-yuan, it was renamed "Zhao Family Kiln." In recent years, they have designed a new series of tea sets, gaining considerable recognition through department stores and specialty tea utensil outlets. The Zhao brothers have held solo exhibitions at the Taichung City Cultural Center and the Meilin Art Museum in Chiayi, with their creative purpose focusing on integrating their creations into daily life. In recent years, they have frequently engaged in the creation of tea sets and dining ware and collaborated with "Gengdu Garden" on events such as the "Lotus Appreciation Conference." Zhao Sheng-jie has been actively involved in the development and design of new ceramic products, having been selected for the "Daily Use Ceramics" category of the annual evaluation in 2003 and 2004, and invited to exhibit at the "Creative Ceramics Pavilion" during the national community development conference in 2003.
