More Than Folk Art
2008-08-05

More Than Folk Art

                                                   ---Recommendation of some great sculptors

Clay is one of the materials that can be used to make sculptures. They are usually soft and pliant so that they can be molded and shaped. Also there're a numerous number of sculptures made of clay throughout the world. And Here I'm going to introduce some great clay sculptors both in our home and abroad.

Mr.Yu Qingcheng - "Master of Folk Arts" 

Born in 1944 in Jixian County, Tianjin.Mr.Yu Qingcheng had a frustrated childhood and youth time, which offered him an indissoluble bond with clay. From 1977 he started his career as a clay sculptor, and later in 1983 he entered Tianjin Arts College for further study. From 1990 up to today, he indulged himself in his clay sculpture creation, while being the director of Yu Qingcheng Clay Sculpture Exhibition Hall. He is a member of the Chinese Folklore Society, member of the Tianjin Artists Society, and was a member of the Ninth Cappuccino 1998 he got the title of "Folk arts Pioneer" from the Ministry of Culture, and later in June 1996 he was entitled "Master of Folk Arts" from the UNESCO.

In many nation-wide arts shows, Mr. Yu Qingcheng displayed his master pieces, which earned him lots of fame and prizes. More than 800,000 visitors from domestic and abroad visited Yu Qingcheng Clay Sculpture Exhibition Hall, with astonishment. Many noted persons and Masters from the culture and arts circles, highest level directors of the Nation and the Party, all highly praised Mr.Yu Qingcheng's unique arts style.

Painted Sculpture of Clay Figure Zhang 

Painted sculpture is a new form of art in the world. And its founder, Zhang Mingshn (1826-1906) was an expertise in producing clay figurines. He could make one in the gusset while talking with others, simply by hand feeling. The clay figurines are characterized by its lifelike appearance and prominent style. It inherited the tradition of color drawing and New Year Picture, which has become a renowned folk craftwork in China. The Painted Sculpture of Clay Figure Zhang has developed into the fourth generation. All of their artworks are very popular both in home and abroad.


Peter Voulkos

He was a pioneering figure in contemporary clay sculpture. Art critic Rose Slivka notes that he is "the first ceramic artist to move his clay forms from a functional context into the world of deep personal expression… Voulkos created an astounding body heroic and precedent-setting ceramic sculpture that quickly gained him national and international attention." Among his many honors are the Rodin Museum Prize for sculpture in Paris, and a ground-breaking 1960 solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. From this illustrious beginning his work went on to be featured in important museums throughout the US, Japan, and Europe; including exhibits at the Whitney Museum of Art in New York, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and many others.


"She was so special in her ability to take the ordinary and make it so vibrant." 

Lundin Kudo passed away April 16, Easter Sunday, after open-heart surgery and a lengthy hospital stay. Her family has lost a loving wife and mother, and many others have lost a wonderful friend. The world has "lost an artist who inspired friends and admirers with her courage and her sculpture," as the Palm Beach Post said in its obituary. Her work will be a continuing legacy and inspiration for many, and this site will continue to present a wide selection of Lundin's work.

Lundin Kudo was an artist in Stuart, Florida, best known for clay sculpture but also a gifted painter. Kudo's work is at once realistic and whimsical. Her wall sculptures of people and Florida scenes are in several public buildings and numerous private homes in Florida, and her free-standing, usually life-size sculptures of people, especially women, are in numerous private collections both in the United States and internationally. Her sculptures of pears, peppers, honeybell oranges, apples, mangoes and other fruits and vegetables and Japanese koi fish are in homes and offices across the United States and have been featured at numerous galleries. She received a 2001 Niche Award for her Bosc pear series and has been featured on the cover of Fine Art Ceramics magazine.