LIU ZHAOJIN(1960 – )
Liu Zhaojin, born in 1960, a native of Shiwan, Guangdong Province, is a ‘Senior Craftsman’. He is the son of the ‘Master of Chinese Arts and Crafts’ Liu Zemian and a fifth-generation member of the renowned Liu Shengji family of Shiwan ceramic artists. Influenced by his father, he aspired to pottery creation from a young age. His further studies of Sculpture Theory at the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts enabled him to combine his family’s artistic skills with academic education. In 1981, he collaborated with his father and uncle, Liu Bing, to create the largest and most complete series of ‘Eighteen Arhats of Shiwan’. Drawing inspiration from China’s diverse traditional Buddhist art, he travelled to different sites such as Yungang Grotto in Shanxi Province, Longmen Grotto in Luoyang, Henan Province, Qiongzhu Temple in Yunnan Province, Nanhua Temple in Guangdong Province, among others. This artistic exploration greatly influenced his subsequent creations.
His works focus on ancient human f igures , immort a ls , Buddhas, and Arhats. He prefers a realistic approach in creation, painstakingly depic ting the figures’ physical and mental aspects. His figurative works are characterised by wel lproportioned frames and muscles, natural and fluent textures, vivid expressions, and a primitive, simple, and vigorous portrayal.