Lin Qing He - Craft House (Tianxing Kiln) Introduction
Since the camphor tree seedlings were planted in 1940, sixty years later, they became a stunning "green tunnel"; the Nantou area has become the birthplace of Taiwanese ceramic art, starting from the first pottery in the first year of the Jiaqing era. The "Tianxing Kiln," with a history of over fifty years, is located next to the "green tunnel," dedicated to continuing the legacy of ceramic art. In the agricultural society era, ceramic products were indispensable items of daily life, such as tile roofs, water tanks, pickling jars, and eating utensils. The 1940s marked the peak of the ceramics industry. Lin Qinghe's grandfather established the kiln, and his father, Lin Shuangxi, further expanded its scale. "The pottery and glazed tiles produced by Tianxing Kiln were of high quality, securing a place in the market, with prices about twenty percent higher than those made by other kilns, and orders often lined up for more than six months," recalled the third-generation head of Tianxing Kiln, Lin Qinghe. Lin Qinghe, the only son in the family, graduated from a political worker training school and took over the family business after retiring from the military in 1979. However, with the economic changes in Taiwan, glass and plastic products became widely used in daily life, cement tiles and asbestos tiles replaced glazed tiles, and the future of ceramic tiles faded like a setting sun. In 1988, Lin Qinghe began to transform and produce ceramic artworks, actively establishing the uniqueness of the kiln. When Lin Qinghe took over Tianxing Kiln, whenever he consulted the masters about pottery-related issues, the masters would arrogantly say, "Oh! You wouldn't understand even if I told you! You're just the boss!" However, Lin Qinghe took no offense. Having attended a high school with a focus on science, he diligently studied the physical and chemical changes in pottery, establishing a solid foundation for his ceramic skills. "What is that?" This was the question posed by family elders regarding Lin Qinghe's first ceramic artwork! Yet, undeterred by such doubts, his work was selected for the 45th National Fine Arts Exhibition in its third year of transformation, followed by the 13th National Art Exhibition, and subsequently, ceramic biennales and Golden Ceramic Awards followed one after another, bringing many accolades and regular exhibitions. Lin Qinghe transformed from a small kiln operator into a ceramic artist through perseverance and action. "The official kilns emphasize precision techniques and do not allow personal emotion in the work, in contrast to folk kilns, where each piece is different according to the mood of the potter," Lin Qinghe believes. He considers that the value of an artwork is not fixed but varies depending on the viewer. Wishing for his works to be touched and interacted with by collectors, and due to his preference for the vitality released from folk kilns, Lin Qinghe's artworks are characterized by simplicity and minimalism. In his work "Spring," which focuses visually on melting snow, Lin Qinghe uses reduction firing to present the ice cracks below the bottle's opening, suggesting melting snow, to proclaim the theme, "Winter has gone, how far can Spring be?" The melted snow nourishes the earth, while the black lines at the bottom of the bottle indicate the revived life buried underground. This work is rustic yet vibrant, reminiscent of the ambiance of traditional Chinese painting. "Sitting alone in a bamboo grove, I play the lute and sing aloud. Deep in the forest, no one knows, the bright moon shines upon me." This line from Wang Wei's poem "Bamboo Lodge" resonates with Lin Qinghe's piece "Moonlight," where the full moon and the varying heights of trees capture the essence of the poem. The bottle's body presents a fullness from bottom to top, creating an overall understated elegance. Nine is an auspicious number in China. Lin Qinghe's work "Light Source," which connects nine bottle openings into a circle, was selected for the provincial art exhibition in 1991. This labor-intensive piece, formed by hand, features a central spiral motif that extends into black diamonds, radiating symmetry and gradient effects in relief. The central spiral conveys the concept of a power starting point, endowing the piece with a sense of endless strength. The same force is also reflected in Lin Qinghe’s other work "Rising Sun." "Rising Sun" transforms classical Chinese totems into rolling waves, echoing a grand sunrise. This piece is part of a triptych, where Lin Qinghe attempts to create an interactive space for viewers, allowing the three pieces to shine together while also being meaningful individually, exemplifying unique creativity and innovation. "The Back Waves Push the Front Waves" and "Rising Sun" share a similar theme, employing a layered glazing technique to create a simple and ancient design, selected for the 14th National Art Exhibition. In the work "Summer Love," Lin Qinghe incorporates palm trees to convey the leisurely charm of tropical regions, with rough carving lines representing the simplicity of ancient painted pottery culture. Most of Lin Qinghe's works blend aesthetics with practical functionality, with this piece serving as both decoration and a flower vase. (Text and images from the National Taiwan Institute of Arts)
