Artist Sun Lixin poses for a photo at the Sun Lixin Ceramic Art Exhibition held in Prince Kung's Mansion in Xicheng District of Beijing, capital of China, April 27, 2019. About 60 pieces of porcelain made in recent years by Sun Lixin, the only one of the family's fourth generation to have inherited the blue-and-white painting skill, are on display till April 28 in Beijing-based Prince Kung's Mansion. A collection of blue-and-white porcelain paintings created by Sun featuring the ancient silk road are also exhibited to echo the Belt and Road Initiative. Combining exquisite craft with cultural elements of the ancient silk road including Dunhuang Feitian and camel bells, these porcelain paintings reflect the history and culture in regions along the route. Sun's love for porcelain dates back to the 1980s, when he followed the footsteps of his father Sun Tongxin, a then renowned porcelain artist, and secured a job at the state-owned Hongqi Porcelain Factory in Jingdezhen of east China's Jiangxi Province. As the factory went downhill and Jingdezhen suffered poor air quality in the 1990s, Sun went to Shenzhen to work as a designer. In 1998, Sun returned to his hometown and opened his own workshop "Sun Gong Yao", or Mr. Sun's Kiln, as a way to inherit the handicraft art of porcelain from his forefathers. Currently, "Sun Gong Yao" focuses on making porcelain of traditional styles, especially blue-and-white wares. Sun wishes his workshop could be a brand name with superior quality and a business model for others to follow in the future. (Xinhua/Cui Bowen)
