Fired clay crafts ode to memory and peace

Over 100 ceramic and porcelain masterpieces pay tribute to martyrs of war of resistance at ongoing exhibition, Yang Feiyue reports.

Beneath the soft glow of gallery lights, a monumental ceramic piece grips viewers with its stark intensity. Numbers marking the time period of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) fractured and reassembled in porcelain intertwine with the silhouettes of rifles, uniforms, and the Great Wall.

The work, Remembering: 1931-1945, mirrors the chaos and endurance of a nation under siege, embodying life's fragility and memory's permanence, say its creators, the Chao brothers: Chao Ziyi and Chao Ziwei.

Nearby, the gleaming contours of Peaceful Flourishing Age take the form of a trophy, adorned with rising suns, peace doves, and the Yellow River flowing past evergreen pines. Its glazed surface becomes a declaration that peace is the highest form of victory.

In solemn counterpoint, artist Lyu Pinchang's The Great Victory presents a porcelain warhorse burdened with weapons and armor. Fusing symbols of warfare with the steadfast horse, the piece reflects the brutality of conflict and the longing for peace.

In its stillness, the sculpture captures the pulse of battle, transforming silent clay into a vivid chronicle of war's fragile connection to life.

These works are among more than 30 items that open the chapter Flames of Memory — Porcelain Paints the Homeland at the Victory and Peace ceramic art exhibition in Beijing.

Through clay and glaze, artists re-create an era where blood and fire shaped destiny. The delicate yet enduring nature of porcelain stands in stark contrast to the cruelty of war, engraving the nation's collective memory with dignity, according to the hosts, the China Ceramic Industry Association and its partners.

Each fragile sheen carries both sacrifice and the enduring hope for peace.

Staged at the Beijing Ceramic Art Museum, the exhibition features over 100 masterpieces by more than 500 artists. Running until Sept 1 and open to the public free of charge, it stands as a significant cultural event commemorating the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

"Eighty years ago, the Chinese people, through immense sacrifice and unyielding will, secured a great victory," said Liu Ting, chairperson of the China Ceramic Industry Association, at the exhibition's opening ceremony on Friday.

He emphasized the exhibition's deeper meaning: "Ceramics, treasures of Chinese civilization, with their timeless quality, serve as an exceptional medium for recording history. With clay as paper and glaze as ink, we etch memory, carry forward spirit, and illuminate the future."