Chinese Name: 李俊蘭
Born: 1975
Birthplace: Chiayi County (Southern Taiwan)
Did You Know That…?
With a career spanning nearly three decades, Li Chun-lan was certified as an outstanding craftsman by the National Taiwan Craft Research and Development Center (國立臺灣工藝研究發展中心) in 2020, in recognition of his excellence in craftsmanship, education, and artistic achievement.
Born in 1975 in Chiayi County (嘉義縣), Li studied art and craft in high school. As a sophomore, he chose to specialize in pottery, partly because the materials were more affordable than other art media. However, over time, he developed a genuine passion for molding clay and creating pottery.
In 1995, he returned to his hometown and founded the Lanshan Creative Workshop (蘭山創藝工坊), actively participating in pottery competitions. Among his notable accolades are the Outstanding Award in the Craft Category at the 53rd Taiwan Provincial Fine Arts Exhibition in 1998 and the Outstanding Award in the Sculpture Category at the 6th Chiayi City Art Exhibition in 2001. These honors inspired him to pursue pottery as a lifelong vocation.
With clear goals in mind, Li enrolled in the Graduate Institute of Applied Arts at Tainan National University of the Arts (國立臺南藝術大學) in 2003, majoring in ceramics. He spent six years completing the program while gaining valuable experience through artist residencies in the U.S. and Japan. During his time in the U.S., he joined the Mississippi Mud workshop in Iowa, where he studied pottery-making and exhibition methods, and assisted in pottery instruction. He later participated in a residency at Baltimore Clayworks in Maryland, immersing himself in ceramic creation, education, and exhibition. In 2006, he went to Tokyo University of the Arts as an exchange student, where he studied Japanese tea culture and the art of wood-fired pottery. Exposure to diverse cultures and lifestyles broadened his perspective and deepened his appreciation for the cultural and artistic significance of ceramics.
After graduating, Li returned to his workshop and began focusing on wood-fired pottery, paying close attention to the evolution of ceramic utensils. He remarked that wood-fired pottery is considered the pinnacle of the craft due to its unpredictability, which adds a sense of mystery and deepens the fascination for artisans.
In recent years, wood-fired pottery with gold and silver color (金銀彩柴燒) has flourished in Taiwan. Characterized by the use of metallic pigments, this unique and aesthetically striking style has caught Li’s attention. Despite his international experience with both traditional and contemporary pottery, he noted that this particular form remains largely unknown outside of Taiwan. He hopes it will continue to grow and become a hallmark of Taiwanese craft.
Li has been invited to take part in numerous exhibitions, residencies, and workshops in countries such as China, the U.S., Japan, South Korea, and Palau. His works have also been collected by various public institutions. In addition to his part-time teaching at universities, Li opens his workshop to the public, sharing his space and facilities with those interested in exploring the joy of creation. He continues to build wood-fired kilns in different locations and shares his expertise in wood-firing techniques, helping to ensure the tradition of kiln-building and firing is passed down and sustained.