What I Like Is Exactly What You Like

By staff reporter HOU RUILI

“Since childhood I have enjoyed the joy that flowers and greenery bring to me，” said Feng Xuefang， a ceramic designer who was born in Shijiazhuang， Hebei Province. Her connection with Jingdezhen began in 2007. That year， she left her hometown to study ceramics at Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute in Jiangxi Province. Later， she continued her postgraduate study at the institute， focusing on the research of ceramic technology and materials.

During the third year of postgraduate study， Feng returned to her hometown as an intern and worked as a designer at a local museum for half a year. Her parents wished her to live a stable and regular life， however， the daughter was thinking about what she wants and what life she wants to live. “Thinking it over， I decided to return to Jingdezhen， the place where I had been for seven years. Interest is the best teacher. Since I stayed there according to my wishes， I also did what I like！” said Feng.

Dream Chaser to Dream Maker

In the autumn of 2014， Feng and four partners founded a pottery studio called Juzijia （literally means Oranges Home） to make unique and endearing works. However， it didnt take long for the partners to be presented with new opportunities and choices， leaving Feng to run the studio alone.

During the hard time， she was told that Jingdezhen opened a creative market named Taoxichuan， and she visited it with excitement. It was based in the old plants of a closed ceramic factory and has been transformed into a district that integrates culture， creativity， and entertainment. It houses fashionable creative studios， ceramic shops， cafes， book bars， hotels， restaurants， and other elements that young people like.

Among them， the kiln of the old factory has been transformed into Yi Space， which is free for young entrepreneurs and artists to display and sell their ceramic works. Feng learned that due to limited space， the Yi Space has a set of selection and elimination mechanisms. Each month， more than 600 people are selected from entrepreneurial youths who submit applications to set up stalls at an outdoor market during weekends， and then some outstanding entrepreneurs are selected to enter and be displayed at Yi Space. Feng submitted her application. Soon， her ceramic products were not only selected to participate in the creative market， but also successfully became the first group of creators to settle in Yi Space.

As a creator featured in Yi Space， Feng enjoyed the deduction and exemption policies including operating charges， utilities， and taxes. Her works were also selected for an online display and sales platform specifically for entrepreneurial youth. More importantly， by participating in some entrepreneurial training， she learned of cutting-edge ideas of well-known professors， artists， designers， and scholars from China and other countries such as those of the Ceramic Art Research Institute of the Central Academy of Fine Arts， the Taoxichuan Cultural Study Exchange Center， and other well-known institutions， which improved her creative level and allowed her to gradually complete the beautiful transformation from dream chaser to dream maker.