Introduction
Yixing is known for its Zisha clay, handmade teapots, and long ceramic tradition. At XUJIE HUAZANG, Lin Lai brings that tradition into her own practice through ceramic engraving, working alongside her father, veteran Yixing potter Li Feng.
Together, they combine Li Feng’s experience in full-handmade square teapots with Lin Lai’s detailed engraving work. Their approach connects traditional Yixing craftsmanship with contemporary ceramic art, while keeping the material and handmade process at the center.
In this interview, Lin Lai discusses her family’s craft lineage, the influences behind her engraving, the challenges of working with leather-hard clay, and her vision for XUJIE HUAZANG.
Interview
Could you introduce yourself and the philosophy behind XUJIE HUAZANG?
I am Lin Lai, a ceramic artist, engraver, and the founder of XUJIE HUAZANG, based in Yixing, China—the historic heartland of Yixing clay culture. At XUJIE HUAZANG, we view teaware not as industrialized tableware, but as intimate, tactile sculptures designed to anchor daily reflection.
Our studio unites two demanding disciplines: the rigorous architectural logic of full-handmade square teapots, and high-density micro-engraving rooted in classical Eastern fine-line art. We work within the authentic Huanglongshan-origin mineral clay tradition, selecting specific clay bodies—from dense purple clay (Zini) to delicate red clay (Zhuni) and rare blended ores—tailored to each vessel’s geometry and tactile voice.
Left unglazed, the fired mineral surface breathes and patinas with human touch, turning each piece into a living record of time.
Yixing Zisha is celebrated globally for its ancient traditions. How does your family lineage influence your creative practice today?
Our atelier is an intimate dialogue across two generations. My father, Li Feng, known by his art name Xiaokan Jushi, is a master craftsman who has dedicated over thirty years to the unforgiving discipline of full-handmade square teapots (全手工方器).
Trained under master Gao Songyun, he builds vessels entirely by hand—using slab-forming and wooden paddle techniques without a potter’s wheel. Beyond his technical lineage, his lifelong artistic North Star has been the early Qing Dynasty master Chen Mingyuan. For decades, my father has immersed himself in Chen Mingyuan’s classical forms, absorbing not merely the antique silhouette, but the profound restraint, structural tension, and inner qi (vital energy) of classical vessels.
Growing up beside his workbench, I inherited this deep reverence for form and material intelligence. Today, he anchors our mastery of architectural form, while I explore the narrative surface through the knife, creating an organic synergy between volume and image.
Your carving style is remarkably distinct from conventional teaware motifs. Where do your visual narratives come from?
My foundation was forged in Yixing’s authentic carving heritage under the lineage of master Shi Tao, “The King of Plum Blossoms,” rooted in the legendary Ren Ganting tradition. There, I spent years mastering the discipline of calligraphic knife work, structural rhythm, and delicate floral morphology.
From that root, I chose to expand outward. My visual language synthesizes the devotional line weights of Tibetan Thangka paintings, the atmospheric scale of Dunhuang and ancient temple mural traditions, and the microscopic precision of Song Dynasty court Gongbi painting.
When I engrave leather-hard clay, I am translating the fluid, sacred weight of classical brushstrokes into dimensional ceramic relief. Whether carving celestial figures, mythical beasts, or sacred flora, the microscopic density of the lines is designed to evoke stillness, focus, and quiet grandeur.
Can you describe the physical dialogue between the artisan and the clay during the micro-engraving process?
It is an intensely meditative, irreversible act. Clay can only be engraved during a brief, critical window of moisture known as the “leather-hard” state. If it is too wet, the carved edges collapse; if it becomes too dry, the mineral grains shatter.
There is no eraser, no undo button. As the tungsten blade cuts through the raw mineral clay, it produces a distinct, rhythmic rasping sound—a tactile acoustic rhythm that requires complete breath control and sustained stillness.
A single high-density carved piece requires days of continuous work under magnification. Once complete, precisely calibrated kiln firing vitrifies the mineral body while locking every microscopic cut permanently into stone-like permanence.
XUJIE HUAZANG is building a comprehensive digital provenance system around its craft. What is the vision behind this?
We believe true contemporary luxury requires absolute authenticity and generational transparency. XUJIE HUAZANG is building a long-horizon digital memory and provenance infrastructure around living craft.
Every significant piece is assigned a unique archival identity (Work_ID) within our Yi Qi Ru Xi Lu (一器入席录) registry. Through an integrated digital record, collectors can access structured provenance data where verified: maker documentation, recorded material information, raw photo and video capture sessions, and before/process/after carving evidence.
In selected executive editions, a sealed raw-clay specimen may also be paired with documented batch information where applicable. Decades from now, when an owner holds our vessel, they hold not only an artwork, but an unforgeable, complete historical archive of its creation.
What has been the most fulfilling moment or achievement in your artistic career so far?
True fulfillment happens after the piece leaves our workbench and begins its second life.
When a collector tells us that a full-handmade Yixing square teapot, an engraved Zisha cup, or a tactile desk object sits at the center of their daily life—witnessing momentous decisions, quiet morning teas, and the quiet passage of years—that is the ultimate validation.
Crafting an object that someone uses every single day for decades, watching its mineral clay deepen and mature into a warm, lustrous patina through tea ritual and human touch, creates a bond between maker and keeper that outlasts any temporary acclaim.
What are your aspirations for XUJIE HUAZANG in the global contemporary craft arena?
Our ambition is to place classical Chinese Zisha teaware in direct conversation with global contemporary fine art, architecture, and luxury desk culture.
We want to show the world that authentic Yixing craftsmanship is not a static museum antique, but a sophisticated, living art form—one that embodies architectural precision, exquisite linear devotion, and profound tactile peace in modern daily life.
About Lin Lai and XUJIE HUAZANG
Lin Lai is the founder and lead engraver of XUJIE HUAZANG, an Yixing-based ceramic atelier working in close collaboration with veteran Yixing potter Li Feng. Combining classical square-vessel architecture, fine-line Eastern iconography, and digital craft archives, the studio creates bespoke heirloom teaware and tactile art objects.
To explore their collections and permanent archives, visit XUJIE HUAZANG.
