Zhang Shuyun - Lotus Field Potter's Studio Introduction
"Located in the southern part of Zhushan Township, near Xiao Huang Mountain, Chen Tan Lane is filled with lotus flowers and seasonal lilies, making it resemble a fairyland. Zhang Shuyin is the owner of the Chen Tan Lotus Field Pottery Workshop. Zhang Shuyin is a local boy from Zhushan Township in Nantou County, but he has a deep passion for painting, and his casual doodles sparked his creative journey. After experiencing the innocence of childhood and the struggles of youth, he boldly entered the realm of creation shortly after his military service. **Engagement in Painting and Sculpture** Due to the rich inspirations from his childhood rural life, Zhang Shuyin's works resonate deeply with viewers, earning him numerous awards. Especially in 1992, he held a solo exhibition of Western paintings at the Taichung Cultural Center, which was a great encouragement for him at just thirty years old, marking the beginning of his professional creative path. Throughout his journey, he engaged in both painting and sculpture. He believes that painting is a form of flat art, expressing itself in two dimensions; while three-dimensional sculpture not only conveys deep emotional resonance but also requires consideration from multiple angles of its structure, demanding a stronger expressive power and offering creators a freer means of expression. Zhang Shuyin's sculptural achievements, such as "Rhapsody of Small People" in 2003, "Scenes of Life" in 2004, and the "Shadow. Thought" series in 2008, are among his representative works. **The Beauty of Authenticity Embracing Flaws** Zhang Shuyin’s works predominantly feature human figures, with colors presented in earthy glazes or matte finishes that exude a genuine, unpretentious quality. The traces left by bamboo knives add a realistic sense of the capillary pores and muscle lines, subtly revealing the beauty of life's tragic flaws. Zhang Shuyin states, “This world is inherently imperfect, so let the works retain some space!” Between exaggeration and restraint lies a heroic atmosphere, reminiscent of the rhapsody of small figures like Lu Xun's Ah Q, continuously stirring the viewer's innermost feelings, which is the essence of Zhang Shuyin's successful creation. Especially in the "Shadow. Thought" series, he directly reflects floating shadows onto the works, where the readings of "consciousness" and "subconscious" differ, revealing the ambiguous entanglement between people and shadows, hiding the unpredictable changes of human nature in the real world. It becomes unclear who the true protagonist of the work is, highlighting the diversity of Zhang Shuyin's creative philosophy. **Craftsmanship in Landscape Design and Sharing Friendliness** It is hard to imagine that someone as sharp in creativity as Zhang Shuyin still retains the pure character of a rural person. He also enjoys landscape design, having personally crafted the scenery around the lotus field pottery workshop. Surrounding his ancestral home is about two acres of land, featuring a lotus field, a water lily pond, ecological pools, and built wooden walkways, bridges, and pavilions, resembling a paradise on earth. To meet like-minded friends, the originally working studio of the lotus field pottery workshop has transformed into a beautiful garden café, attracting many visitors due to its charming atmosphere. However, to avoid disruptions to his creative time, it is only open to the public on weekends. Zhang Shuyin is passionate about promoting ceramics, and one can witness his live creations at public pottery demonstration events and at the lotus field pottery workshop. (Text and images from the National Taiwan Craft Research and Development Institute)"
