Tianjin Clay Figurines are some of the most recognizable and famous pottery forms in China, and created by manually kneading and carving clay into detailed animal or human characters.
The artists who make these figurines, which are exchanged as gifts during holidays, draw their inspiration from characters in classical literature, stage dramas and folktales, as well as scenes from everyday life. This 2000-year-old tradition employs a mixture of clay, fiber, river sand and water, but today, artists incorporate other materials such as plastic, stone, wood and metal, and are occasionally commissioned to make pieces based on photographs.
PRICES
Everyone: FREE
Friday, July 11, 2014
7:00PM – 10:00PM
Zone 5
235 Queens Quay West, Toronto Ontario
Saturday, July 12, 2014
12:00PM – 8:00PM
Zone 5
235 Queens Quay West, Toronto Ontario
Sunday, July 13, 2014
12:00PM – 6:00PM
Zone 5
235 Queens Quay West, Toronto Ontario
The Tianjin Clay Figurine Zhang Workshop is a state-owned company with about 30 artists devoted to the research and production of painted clay figurines. Two of these artists are participating in the Festival:
Fu Xinyue富心悦, Zhao Jianwu赵建武
Both have extensive experience with the two primary processes of figurine making: first shaping and sculpting clay into a wide range of subjects—from animals and zodiac figures to commissioned scenes and portraits of individuals; and then painting the figurines after they have been dried and polished. One of the Tianjin Clay Figurine Zhang Workshop’s distinguishing characteristics is its production of realistic figurines that represent common people.