Zhao Family Kiln Introduction
Zhao Family Kiln, established in March 1988, is located in Daya District, Taichung City, and primarily produces everyday ceramics. The hand-painted lotus tea set is a signature product, specifically distinguishing itself from the general market through handcrafted pottery. The management goal is to deeply cultivate and pass on local culture, with hopes of promoting and applying their knowledge in daily life. The Zhao brothers—Zhao Shengjie, Zhao Shengyong, and Zhao Chongyuan—grew up in a family of craftsmen. Their grandfather, Zhao Ajing, and father, Zhao Yixiong, were both woodworkers who specialized in creating exquisite wooden products for export to Japan, which greatly influenced the brothers’ education choices while studying in the arts. They engaged in various fields of art and craftsmanship, such as sculpture, photography, ceramics, painting, and design, laying a solid foundation for their craft creations, and fostering a unique aesthetic experience of "making ceramics part of daily life." After graduation, Zhao Shengjie entered Jiji Tianxing Kiln as an apprentice on the recommendation of his teacher. Fifteen years ago, Tianxing Kiln was undergoing changes, shifting towards the production of everyday ceramics. During his two years at the kiln, he learned practical experiences such as wood firing and glazing. Eventually, he returned to his hometown in Daya District, Taichung City, to establish "Yutao Studio" specializing in ceramics, while setting up a pottery specialty store in the department store with a new-age marketing concept. As a family-run ceramic studio that creates products and communicates directly with consumers, and with the subsequent involvement of his younger brothers Zhao Shengyong and Zhao Chongyuan, it was renamed "Zhao Family Kiln." In recent years, they have designed a series of new-style tea vessels which have been well-received through department stores and specialty outlets. The Zhao brothers have held solo exhibitions at the Taichung Municipal Cultural Center and the MeiLin Art Museum in Chiayi, committing to incorporate their creations into everyday life. Over the past few years, they have frequently engaged in the creation of tea sets and dining ware and collaborated with "Gengdu Garden" for events such as the "Lotus Appreciation Festival." In recent years, Zhao Shengjie has focused on the development and design of new creative ceramic products, having been selected for the annual reviews of "Functional Ceramics" in 2003 and 2004, and was also invited to exhibit in the "Creative Ceramics Pavilion" at the National Assembly of Community Construction in 2003.
