HUANG BING(1815 – 1894)
Huang Bing, a native of Shiwan, Guangdong Province, was not well-known at the beginning. This changed, however, when the governor of the Hubei- Hunan region, Zhang Zhidong, sent an emissary to Shiwan to commission a set of ceramic sculptures to be called ‘A Feast of Nine Dishes’. No artist in Shiwan was willing to accept the commission until Huang Bing boldly stepped forward. The governor was delighted with the exquisite quality of Huang’s work, and from that time, Huang Bing enjoyed ever-increasing fame.
Huang Bing was also excellent in painting and calligraphy. He was renowned for his realistic ceramic sculptures; his animal figures – especially ducks and cats – were the most famous. Reportedly, Huang Bing’s cat figures were so realistic that they scared away mice. Huang’s expressive strength, fueled by his rich life experience, was made known through a wide range of subject matters. These qualities made him one of the most renowned of the first generation of Shiwan pottery artists.
It is said that when Huang Bing was in his later years, Chen Weiyan frequented Huang’s studio, where he would quietly memorise the senior artist’s still unfinished works. Chen would then return home to copy the works from memory and rush them onto the market before Huang’s works launched. When Huang’s works finally appeared on the market, they were derided for being imitations of Chen’s work. Upon learning of this, Huang Bing ensured his works were covered whenever Chen Weiyan visited. This story was widely circulated among their contemporaries.