Zhang Jingjing
Vice President, Jingdezhen Ceramic University
Deputy to the National People’s Congress
Member, International Academy of Ceramics (IAC）
Interview Notes：
A single biennale carries a dual mission: advancing the international development of ceramic art and promoting Chinese culture on the global stage.
In the context of globalization, the internationalization of ceramic art is both a demand of the times and a cultural responsibility. It breaks down geographical barriers, bridges traditional craftsmanship with modern aesthetics, and enables dialogue across nations, regions, and cultures—bringing contemporary Chinese ceramic art onto the world stage.
Against this backdrop, Zhang Jingjing’s international perspective is both systematic and strategic. The construction of this platform provides clear pathways for the global dissemination of ceramic art. Through curated exhibitions, academic forums, and online exchanges, it builds bridges of communication between Chinese and international ceramic artists, fostering mutual learning in techniques and collisions of ideas. By telling Chinese stories through ceramics, this ancient art form is infused with renewed vitality for the present era, becoming a vivid medium for conveying Chinese culture and spirit, and contributing to mutual learning among civilizations and cultural integration.
Q ：Yu Lingna
A ：Zhang Jingjing
Q：As both the organizer and a core planner of the Biennale, how does Jingdezhen Ceramic University define the exhibition’s core positioning? Compared with other ceramic exhibitions at home and abroad, where do its uniqueness and irreplaceability lie, and what kind of cultural narrative underpins it?
A：In a world undergoing accelerating, once-in-a-century transformations, we must embrace a broad-minded and inclusive vision, transcending divisions and conflicts while keeping humanity’s shared destiny in view. Ceramics has always been a universal language, capable of crossing national borders, ethnicities, and cultural differences to embody the outcomes of mutual learning among civilizations. We aim to build the Biennale into an international platform rooted in Jingdezhen, oriented toward the world, and focused on the future—using ceramics as a medium to tell ceramic stories and, more importantly, to tell Chinese stories.
What the Biennale seeks to construct is a system that uses scholarship as a bond to promote cultural exchange and communication, with the core goal of building regional dialogue and ecological coexistence within contemporary ceramic culture. It is about creating a space where ceramic ideas, concepts, techniques, and styles from diverse backgrounds can collide, converse, and learn from one another, presenting the inclusive and harmonious-yet-diverse development philosophy of contemporary Chinese ceramic art.
This platform is also an effective pathway for advancing the internationalization of ceramic art. From a multicultural perspective, grounded in craft innovation, empowered by technology, and driven by international communication and cooperation, we aim to create a new paradigm of integrated and symbiotic development.
At the same time, leveraging the Biennale, we are building a collaborative mechanism led by government, coordinated by universities, and participated in by society at large. We have established special funds and launched flagship projects such as the “ ‘Ceramic Road’ International Ceramic Education Alliance” and the “Tang Ying Ceramic Workshop,” promoting cooperation with overseas universities to set up ceramic culture courses or joint training programs, and establishing long-term mechanisms for building international ceramic culture platforms.
For Jingdezhen Ceramic University, the Biennale is more than a periodic exhibition; it is a systematic cultural project, with academic depth and leadership at its core. By continuously hosting such high-level international exhibitions, we aim to tell contemporary ceramic stories and Chinese stories to the world.
The practices of the first two editions have already demonstrated this value. Through sustained academic exchange and presentation of achievements, the University has strengthened its connections with the international ceramic field and drawn greater attention to China’s ceramic education and the creative vitality of contemporary ceramic art. Through individual ceramic works, the world comes to understand China’s past, present, and future, and to see China’s cultural vision of integrating the domestic and the international, and connecting antiquity with the present—thereby promoting mutual learning among civilizations and enhancing global recognition of Chinese culture.
Q：“Academic leadership” is a core principle of the Biennale. How is thisconceptimplemented throughout the entire curatorial process?
A：At its essence, the Biennale is an international exchange platform anchored in an academic core. We do not merely display outstanding ceramic works; we also focus on theoretical research, the sharing of educational experience, and the collision of ideas in ceramic art. Through precise curatorial concepts, in-depth academic symposia, and an international jury mechanism, we build an intellectual arena that connects the global ceramic art world. The depth of scholarship directly determines the depth and sustainability of the exhibition, and this is a responsibility that we, as a professional ceramic university, must shoulder.
Innovation has always been a value we champion, and internationalization is a perspective we actively promote. We also deeply understand the new development concepts the nation has put forward for Jingdezhen’s ceramic culture: innovation must be grounded in history and tradition, while tradition must find new vitality through innovation. Innovation without tradition lacks a solid foundation; inheritance without innovation lacks momentum for development. The two are mutually dependent and indispensable.
In exhibition planning, we explore pathways for transformation in traditional ceramic art and technology, examine shifts in creative thinking under new historical conditions, consider future directions for ceramic development in an international context, and investigate new channels and methods of dissemination in the digital age. We actively seek to build a multi-level, multi-channel international ceramic culture exchange and communication system involving government, think tanks, social media, and users—using ceramic art as a medium to better tell Chinese stories.
Q：The 2026 Biennale will be held concurrently with the IAC International Ceramic Congress, forming a global ceramic cultural event under the model of “one exhibition, one congress.” How does this dual-IP linkage respond to China’s cultural development strategy, and what does it mean for Jingdezhen’s role as a National Ceramic Culture Inheritance and Innovation Experimental Zone?
A：Indeed, this is a vivid example of deeply integrating national cultural strategy, local development needs, international exchange platforms, and the unique characteristics of ceramic art.
Ceramics is an important symbol of Chinese culture and a traditional medium connecting Chinese and global civilizations. General Secretary Xi Jinping has attached great importance to Jingdezhen’s ceramic culture and issued important instructions on multiple occasions. Holding the Biennale and the IAC Congress concurrently in Jingdezhen is an active step in implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Culture and responding to national cultural strategies, vividly telling the story of Chinese ceramics in the new era to the world.
Ceramics itself is an international symbol—an IP through which the world recognizes China. Through this dual-IP model, we hope to integrate ceramic cultural IP into the national strategy of cultural “going global,” enhancing international recognition through the combined output of “international exhibition + ceramic congress,” and promoting the transformation and upgrading of Chinese ceramics from a cultural symbol into a global IP.
Throughout this process, we adhere to the principles of “promoting Chinese culture globally” and “enhancing exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations,” rejecting one-way “cultural export” in favor of the philosophy of “harmony in diversity and shared beauty.” Through ceramics, we present Chinese culture as inclusive, harmonious, and open, allowing the world to see its openness and contemporary vitality.
This is also a crucial step in building cultural platforms. Through the linkage of “one exhibition, one congress,” we draw global attention to Jingdezhen, positioning it as a core hub for global ceramic cultural exchange and advancing the internationalization of ceramic art.
For Jingdezhen, the IAC Congress is not only an international event but also an important window for showcasing the city’s historical depth, contemporary vitality, and future vision. Through it, we will comprehensively present China’s concepts and practices in the protection, inheritance, innovation, and exchange of ceramic culture, making Jingdezhen’s ceramic culture an important bridge for dialogue between Chinese and global civilizations.
Q：Jingdezhen will become the second Chinese city to host the IAC Congress, a milestone made possible by long-term accumulation in international exchange. Could you share this journey?
A：There is indeed a backstory. In earlier years, I represented the University in applying for membership in the International Academy of Ceramics, making Jingdezhen Ceramic University an institutional member and opening another important channel for international exchange. Since then, we have actively participated in IAC activities and become one of its key member institutions, contributing to the annual conference in Finland and co-organizing the first two Biennales, among other efforts.
This long-term accumulation of international exchange has been a crucial foundation for advancing the internationalization of ceramic art. Through continuous participation in global activities, we have learned from advanced international experience while showcasing the achievements of Chinese ceramic education and creation, accumulating rich resources and networks for platform building.
It was precisely this sustained engagement and contribution that earned recognition from international peers, enabling us—together with the Jingdezhen Municipal Party Committee and Government—to seize the opportunity and successfully secure the right to host the 2026 IAC Congress. From membership to hosting a global event, this positive cycle of proactive participation, sustained contribution, and eventual trust reflects the growing international influence of Chinese ceramic culture.
Q：As a Deputy to the National People’s Congress, a ceramic artist, and an educator, how do you integrate these roles to build cultural platforms, promote the inheritance and international dissemination of ceramic culture, and ultimately tell Chinese stories through ceramics?
A：These different roles allow me to view and advance the development of the ceramic field in a more comprehensive and multidimensional way. As an NPC deputy, I have consistently advocated telling China’s stories of the new era through ceramic culture. At the 2022 Two Sessions, I submitted a proposal on promoting the inscription of the Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Site as a World Cultural Heritage site. The focus evolved from the Imperial Kiln Factory in 2022, to the Taoyangli Historic District in 2023, and further to a city-wide heritage inscription centered on the Imperial Kiln Factory in 2024—reflecting a step-by-step, point-to-area strategy that responds to national calls for strengthening cultural heritage protection and innovative development. The heritage application process itself is also a process of advancing the internationalization of ceramics and an important opportunity to tell Chinese stories through ceramics.
In my broader duties, I also continue to focus on the green development of the ceramic industry, the inheritance of intangible cultural heritage within vocational education, and the empowerment of ceramic culture through digital technologies. For example, I have proposed establishing interdisciplinary programs in “digitalization of intangible cultural heritage” and building traceable digital ceramic dissemination platforms using blockchain and metaverse technologies. These ideas are consistently integrated into the planning and advancement of the Biennale, ensuring that it carries not only artistic height but also real-world relevance.
To further strengthen cultural platforms, Jingdezhen Ceramic University hosts hundreds of international students and resident artists from many countries. Some remain in Jingdezhen as “Jingdezhen drifters” after graduation, while others return home to teach ceramics. Together, they effectively promote the inheritance and international dissemination of ceramic culture, telling Chinese stories through ceramics on a global scale.
Q：Beyond enhancing international influence, how has the Biennale concretely advanced the internationalization of ceramic art for Jingdezhen Ceramic University?
A：The Biennale is a key vehicle for advancing the internationalization of ceramic art. Building on it, we have developed a “Ceramics +” education brand, established national-level ceramic culture study-tour bases, created immersive ceramic experience courses, and designed cross-national and cross-regional ceramic cultural exchange activities—helping cultivate ceramic professionals with a global vision.
First, it directly promotes the internationalization of ceramic education. For over 20,000 students on campus, learning is no longer confined to textbooks and classrooms, but includes an “international exhibition at their doorstep.” Students can see the world’s most cutting-edge ceramic works firsthand, experience creative philosophies shaped by different cultural backgrounds, and break through cognitive limitations—an expansion of vision that is vital to artistic education.
More importantly, this is not only about “seeing,” but about “participating.” Leveraging the Biennale, the University has built an international education platform, inviting international artists for residencies, hosting cross-cultural creative workshops, and enabling students to truly “dialogue with the world at home.” This immersive international exchange is essential for cultivating ceramic talents with a global outlook and has long been at the heart of the University’s commitment to open education.
Q：Rooted in Jingdezhen, how does the Biennale integrate with the city’s historical heritage, contemporary transformation, and future vision? What role does it play in enhancing Jingdezhen’s international image and cultural appeal?
A：For Jingdezhen, the core value of the Biennale lies in making the city’s cultural charm visible to the world and earning broader international recognition for its cultural value, thereby serving the goal of building the National Ceramic Culture Inheritance and Innovation Experimental Zone.
It has long transcended the scope of a single cultural event, becoming a landmark platform for advancing the city’s internationalization. Through the Biennale, Jingdezhen is no longer merely the “Porcelain Capital” of historical memory, but one of the key contemporary sites for global ceramic creation and dialogue. This process of “being seen” not only strengthens cultural confidence but also enhances international image, injecting lasting momentum into the city’s long-term development.
The construction of the Biennale platform has also propelled Jingdezhen’s transformation from a “porcelain capital” into a global hub for ceramic cultural exchange, advancing the internationalization of ceramic art and making Jingdezhen an important base for telling Chinese stories through ceramics—attracting visitors from around the world to find their own “poetry and distant horizons” within the eternal narrative of clay and fire.
Q：Looking ahead to the 2026 Biennale and beyond, what kinds of works and dialogues do you hope to see? What is your vision for the future development of the Biennale itself?
A：I have always hoped that the Biennale will present works that embody both “cultural roots” and an “international vision,” truly interpreting the philosophy of “harmony in diversity” and the practice of creative transformation.
Specifically, I look forward to two aspects:
First, the vibrant rebirth of traditional ceramic techniques in a contemporary context. How can Jingdezhen’s traditional crafts—such as blue-and-white, famille-rose, ancient polychrome, and linglong—be reinterpreted through contemporary artistic thinking to connect with modern society and aesthetics? How can ancient wisdom such as wood firing infuse contemporary creation with soul? Craft is the carrier, but what matters more is enabling craft to serve new creative ideas, revealing both the “warmth of the hand” and the light of thought—values of human creativity that are irreplaceable and central to the inheritance of ceramic culture. This integration of tradition and contemporaneity is also a key direction in the internationalization of ceramic art, transforming traditional cultural symbols into contemporary expressions and making ceramic works vivid vehicles for telling Chinese stories.
Second, I hope to present a diverse global ceramic landscape. In addition to showcasing refined works from countries with strong ceramic traditions, I also hope to see creations from Africa, Latin America, and other regions with different cultural backgrounds, especially developing areas. How they use local clay and distinctive techniques to tell their own stories embodies the charm of ceramics as a universal language. This aligns with our initiatives such as “Study at JCU,” “Residency at JCU,” and the “Tang Ying Porcelain Studio,” all of which aim to build an international cultural exchange ecosystem where every ceramic voice can be heard and respected.
As for the future of the Biennale, I hope to continue deepening its academic core and strengthening its role as a strategic platform for ceramic culture. Jingdezhen Ceramic University has both the responsibility and the capability to proactively serve national cultural strategies through this platform. Guided by the principle of “harmony in diversity,” and within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, we will work to make the Biennale one of the most inclusive, creative, and intellectually vibrant events in the global ceramic art world—allowing ceramics to truly become a vital medium for telling Chinese stories and promoting dialogue among civilizations.
At the same time, we will actively embrace technology and emerging media, using formats favored by younger audiences—such as short videos and virtual exhibitions—to expand the reach of ceramic culture beyond traditional circles, further advancing the internationalization of ceramic art and enabling more people to understand Chinese culture through ceramics, thereby better realizing the goal of telling Chinese stories through ceramic art.
2026 “The Future of Ceramics” Jingdezhen International Ceramic Art Biennale
Registration Deadline：December 31, 2025
Registration Portal：
http://www.cjicb.com/News20251211.html
