The Museum of Craft and Design in San Francisco is pleased to host Wanxin Zhang: The Long Journey, a survey of Wanxin Zhang’s sculptures from 2006 to 2017. Displayed through July 14th, the exhibition echoes the hybridity of the ceramicist’s cultural background. Born in Changchun, China, Zhang was the first generation after the Cultural Revolution to receive formal art education, leading him to Berkeley, CA, where American artists Al Farrow and Peter Voulkos mentored him. Taking from both the mythology and history of his native country and Bay Area funk art, Zhang’s edgy ceramics are packed with unforeseen details that push the boundaries of traditional clay sculpting. For example, the “Chunky Teapot” (2016), which is thickly glazed like a mash-up of hard candies, hints at the traditional uses for Chinese porcelain, the American Craft movement, and the surreal nature of getting arrested in China — which begins by sitting down for a cup of tea with your interrogator. For more information, go to sfmcd.org.

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