Coloring culture

Chinese artist Bai Ming's ongoing exhibition in Lisbon showcases nearly 200 ceramic works, including vases, paintings and large bowls. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Portuguese ceramics often feature blue-and-white color combinations, says Chinese ceramic artist Bai Ming, who visited Lisbon for an exhibition in July. Lin Qi reports.

It is said that after the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama returned home from his historic voyage (1497-99) that linked Western Europe and Asia via a maritime route, he presented tributes to King Manuel I that included Chinese qinghua porcelain.

Since then, cobalt blue-and-white ceramics have become part of Portuguese life.

Portuguese love the color combination very much, says Chinese ceramic artist Bai Ming, who visited Lisbon in July for the first time.

The Jiangxi province native grew up in a town not far from China's "porcelain capital", Jingdezhen, which produced the porcelain the Portuguese explorer took to his homeland.

He saw many blue-and-white ceramic elements in Lisbon, from daily-use items to building tiles.

"The patterns and shapes show very little Chinese influence but have a style that reflects Portuguese culture," says the 52-year-old, who heads the ceramics department of Tsinghua University's arts and design academy in Beijing.

He was on a mission to link the West and the East like Da Gama. Bai was in Lisbon as a cultural ambassador, holding his first solo exhibition in Portugal, White and Blue/Bai Ming.

The ongoing exhibition showcases nearly 200 ceramic works, including vases, paintings and big bowls.

Some are blue-and-white objects.

Bai displays a contemporary Chinese artist's ideas while working with an age-old material.