Wang’s teapots hark back to olden days…

Written by Jane Rickards and published in The China Post

The smooth white China teapot radiating geometric lines at first seems to have a strangely futuristic feel. Its base does not touch the table and instead is elegantly propped up by two evenly elliptical handles like a landing craft.
But despite its modern lines, its actually part of a collection of designer crockery called “Imperial memories”. The teapot’s two handles nostalgically hark back to the days when servants used two hands to pour tea for the Chinese emperor.

“It was a big sign of respect for guests if the host used two hands to pour the tea,” says designer Heinrich Wang, referring to traditional Chinese culture.

Not content to merely capture the world of crystal in Taiwan, Wang now has his sights set on tableware. Recently-formed New Chi company has invited him to create designer china in a move the company describes as a protest against monotonous mass-manufactured crockery and an effort to revive China’s forgotten art of porcelain.

Wang already has achieved acclaim as an outstanding designer. He is the artistic director of Taiwan’s Tittot crystal company which is ranked among the world’s elite alongside companies such as Baccarat, Swarovski and Waterford.

Wang first studied glass art at the Detroit Creative Institute in the late 1980s On his return to Taiwan, he founded the first local glass art studio. The studio eventually became the Tittot company.

Tittot’s works have since been collected by the Victoria & Albert Museum of Art and Craft in the UK, The Takayama Glass Museum in Japan, the Museo del Vidrio of Mexico and other national museums throughout the world.

“He likes a challenge and this will be different from other brands — if you want to be outstanding from the other brands, you need to do something new, something special, something unique,” says New chi Company spokesman Jeffrey Shen.

In the exhibition that starts tomorrow at the Howard Plaza Hotel, Wang will display his new designs with a range entitled “The Way We Live”.

Wang frequently draws on the Chinese concept of “qi” and Taichi moves for inspiration. In a china tea set called “The Eclipse”, the teapot is round with holes inside it forming handles to hold the pot (there is a China barrier inside the pot preventing hot water coming near the hand and burning the skin.)

This tea set recalls a Taichi concept signifying the beginning of life, Wang says, recalling a Taichi crouched body position. It signifies a transition between dark and sunlight.

Another teapot which is part of a set entitled “The Waltz” is inspired by the Taoist concepts of the yin and the yang.

The comma-shaped tea pot, with a long, horizontal handle stretching outwards as if caught in motion resembles the yin and yang symbol. But it also recalls dancing, with the fluid lines of the teapot suggesting movement.

Another teapot, “Love, Deconstructed,” is made of two diamond shapes joined together. The top of the tea pot looks like an ancient Chinese balcony.

A company statement said it was nearly impossible to achieve the fine lines in the porcelain tableware as ceramics undergo 15 percent shrinkage in the production process.

Prices for the China aren’t cheap. A teapot was going for NT$9660 while tea cups came to NT$2,560.

Wang’s exhibition runs from Nov. 26 to Dec. 12, 11.00am to 9.30pm on the second floor of the Howard Plaza Hotel.