Spotlight

Pan Jingxin, a 53-year-old senior artist at the Guangdong Bolin Institute of Art Pottery Sculpture, traveled to Lesotho this past January, where he taught ceramics for two months to local people. The training program was sponsored by the Chinese Culture in Focus 2011 organized by the Chinese Ministry of Culture. Pan talks about his experiences as an instructor with ChinAfrica.

What prompted you to go to Lesotho?

In July 2011, I got a call from the cultural authority of Foshan City in south China's Guangdong Province. They invited me and another artist, along with an interpreter, to go to Maseru, the capital of Lesotho, for two months to teach local people how to make ceramic wares. This was part of a three-year aid program to Lesotho organized by Ministry of Culture of China, in the hope that people working in ceramics there will benefit from learning modern Chinese ceramic techniques.

We took with us our best clay, glazes, kilns and other materials and tools. We made full preparations before going to Lesotho. We wanted to ensure that people there could learn the techniques and skills faster and better. With a history of over 5,000 years, the ceramic art in China's Shiwan District [in Foshan] is recognized as a "miracle in China's ceramic history." We also hope this art can spread and flourish on the African continent. Art does not just belong to Shiwan, but to the world.

What was teaching like during your two-month stay in Lesotho?

We mainly taught at the Lesotho College of Education. Among the 20 students in our class, half were local artists, designers and college teachers, who knew some rudimentary techniques and would teach the skills to others after class. The other half of the class was made up of prisoners – ceramics beginners – hoping to make a living through producing ceramics products. We adopted different methods to teach students at different levels. Especially for those beginners, we made a lot of efforts.

There was lot of individual instruction. We first taught students how to control the dryness and humidity of the clay, and then the basic methods of making ceramic products. After the two-month course, we held an exhibition to display the learners' works, which were praised by high-ranking officials both African and Chinese.

What was the biggest challenge in your classes?

In Lesotho, there was no concept of modern ceramics at all, and the technique they used to make ceramics was ancient. They burned the clay pots at relatively low temperatures of about 800 degrees Celsius in the open air. [African ceramics'] colors are simple, and the style is bold and rough. This was how the Chinese people made ceramics several thousands years ago. But modern techniques now make Chinese pottery rich in color, and refine the process.

A big challenge was that learners in the class were not at the same level. Teachers not only needed to pay attention to good learners, but also care more about the beginners. I often encouraged the beginners when they did something well. Due to the language barrier, sometimes I had to resort to body language and teach students individually when language failed.

How did this affect your teaching?

I had to ask them to watch their classmates and learn from each other. But, the most important thing in teaching is to bring out students' artistic feelings and cultivate their artistic creativity. So I paid more attention to that aspect and asked them to express their inner feelings in their work rather than simply imitating.

What inspiration have you drawn from this trip?

What I saw and experienced in Lesotho is imprinted in my mind and remains a source of inspiration. Traditional culture is still influential in Lesotho, especially totem culture, which can be found in local architecture and textiles. I was quite impressed about the distinctive patterns, as well as the rich and bright colors of local people's clothing and blankets. One of my students designed clothes for the king of Lesotho, and our chats made me understand the influence of totem culture in society even today.