This Chinese potter has become an online sensation thanks to his tiny ceramics work, earning him millions of views on social media.
Wang Wenhua, who comes from the city of Jingdezhen in the Chinese province of Jiangxi, shapes, dries, glazes, and fires his miniature vases in under five minutes.
As a result of his intricate pottery work, Wang’s videos have amassed nearly 50 million views on the social network Douyin, which is what TikTok is known as in China, with many coming from outside his home country.
He told the Global Times: “I was first surprised and then very happy after learning that my porcelain crafts were so popular overseas.
“They called me ‘crazy’ and mocked me when I went to factories and asked them to help make miniature tools for me to create micro pottery. Even my wife did not support me.”
After around 18 months of experimenting, he made his own miniature tools and started work on his first creation, a tiny vase.
Wang said: “When I decided to give it a try and post the short video of my work on my Douyin account in 2018, I didn’t expect that it would become so popular – I got millions of views.
“It would probably miss my original intention if I made micro pottery using a microscope, so I focused more attention on making the smaller pieces more exquisite and complex.”
Chinese miniature ceramic maker amazes netizens in Jingdezhen, China.
(1020772046/AsiaWire)
Chinese miniature ceramic maker amazes netizens in Jingdezhen, China.
(1020772046/AsiaWire)
Wang said the smallest vase he has made was just two millimetres tall and three millimetres wide.
He said he can make around 100 miniature vases a day, however more complex works can sometimes take a day or two.
Wang added: “The works I created are like my children, and I am not willing to sell them unless the buyer is also a pottery lover or they really like my work.
“I can feel that young generations really like traditional Chinese handicrafts since most of my buyers are young people.”
He also said that he employed around 30 apprentices prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, but currently uses one or two a month.
Wang added that he intends to apply for a Guinness World Records award for the smallest pottery work.
Chinese miniature ceramic maker amazes netizens in Jingdezhen, China.
(1020772046/AsiaWire)
Chinese miniature ceramic maker amazes netizens in Jingdezhen, China.
(1020772046/AsiaWire)
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Story By: Lee Bullen, Sub-Editor: Joe Golder,  Agency: Asia Wire Report
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