ARTISTS / Chang Xi Yuan
Artworks exhibited at TOUCH Ceramics:
Chang Xi Yuen (b.1971) is a Taiwanese ceramic artist.
A contemporary ceramic artist, working with clay, fire, and the cracks of time, uses bamboo as a blade, employing unique carving techniques to carve solitary shapes resembling mountain ridges and sharp lines into the clay, imbuing rustic wood-fired objects with a sculptural contemporary tension. Tempered by the ashes of firewood and the mysterious marks of the flames, his works exude a primal appeal, a profound intertwining of human sensibility and the power of nature.
In recent years, he has extended his creative reach to the realms of kintsugi (the art of repairing broken porcelain) and ware. Breaking the conventional notion that "damage equals destruction," he innovates high-temperature repair techniques, transforming the cracks and imperfections of the kiln firing process into a visually reborn tension. Imperfection is no longer a regret, but a metamorphosis into a new art form.
His works have garnered numerous prestigious ceramic awards, and his book, *Ceramic Shadows and Ink Traces*, captures the fleeting moments of fire and the essence of kiln firing in a lasting photographic record, continuously resonating with a profound humanistic spirit within the contemporary ceramics world.
As a representative creator in the field of contemporary wood-fired ceramics, Zhang Xiyuan has garnered widespread attention for his profound traditional skills and avant-garde artistic expression. He is most renowned for refining his knife-carving technique to a state of perfection—wielding the knife like a brush, moving it across the clay to outline and create unique textures that intertwine roughness and delicacy in each piece, allowing the objects to transcend the realm of practicality and become artistic carriers that embody his personal aesthetic language.
Awards
2026 International Coffee Competition - Selected
2024 International Coffee Competition - Bronze Medal
2023 Taiwan Green Craft Certification
2022 Pingtung Award - Selected
Miaoli Award - Second Prize
2017 Tao Ying Ink Trace Wood-fired Pottery Collection
2008 Contemporary Ceramic Golden Pot Award - Selected
Taiwan Ceramic Gold Prize for Tableware Single Item
2007 Yushan Art Award - Selected
2006 New Pottery Award - Bronze Award
Kaohsiung Art Award - Selected
Taiwan Craft Competition - Selected
1998 Taichung County Art Exhibition Craft Category - Selected
Collections
2022 Work of the Miaoli Award: "Yu Shen Xi Huo"
Exhibitions
2026 Eternal Luminescence, TOUCH Gallery， Hong Kong
2025 Where Time Engraves: The 7th Anniversary Teaware Collection Exhibition, TOUCH Gallery， Hong Kong
2024 Harmony in Teawares, TOUCH 6th Anniversary Exhibition, TOUCH Gallery， Hong Kong
2024 Thousand Faces: Sakewares Exhibition III,TOUCH Ceramics, Hong Kong
2020 Osaka Craft Exchange Exhibition in Japan
Exhibition of Results from the Kintsugi Porcelain Creation Workshop
2017 "Ceramic Shadows and Ink Traces" - Joint exhibition with Zhou Miaowen
2016 "Taiwan Top Crafts" - Hangzhou, China
Cultural and Creative Industries Expo
2011 Zhang Xiyuen Ceramic Art Solo Exhibition
Taichung Dazhun Cultural Center Exhibition
2008 1st Contemporary Ceramic Art Taiwan Golden Pot Award Exhibition
2009 2nd Contemporary Ceramic Art Taiwan Golden Pot Award Exhibition
2010 Taiwan Ceramics Exhibition