From August 6 to September 20, 2017, the “Glow with Vitality – 2017 National Student Glass Art Exhibition” was held in the Qinhuangdao Museum of Glass. In the appraisal and selection organized by the exhibition, students from the Department of Art and Crafts of the Academy of Arts & Design of Tsinghua University won multiple awards: Lin Shan’s work “Fossil Series – Ancient Times” won the first prize; Yuan Fangzhou’s work “Organization” won the third prize; and Jiang Ying’s work “View of Heart” won the excellent award.

This exhibition was co-organized by the Qinhuangdao Cultural Broadcasting Press and Publication Bureau, the Academy of Arts & Design of Tsinghua University, and the Glass Art Professional Committee of the China Arts and Crafts Association. It called for works and received 76 works of 61 students (including new undergraduates, and graduate and doctoral students) from 14 art schools such as the China Central Academy of Fine Arts, the China Academy of Art, Jilin University of Arts, Nanjing University of the Arts, Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, and the Fine Arts College of Shanghai University, which entered the appraisal and selection.

First Prize

“Fossil Series – Ancient Times”, Lin Shan

“Fossil Series – Ancient Times” 

This work is made of glass using forging technique. It pursues more of a petrifaction effect, rather than transparency and light effects common to most forged glass artworks. It emphasizes the external texture and color variation of the glass surface, thus increasing its unique sense of profoundness.

Fossils record characteristics of an era. Is it likely to record the characteristics of our era in the form of fossils, too? I think this was my main consideration during my creation of the fossil series. The work “Ancient Times” demonstrates characteristics of the previous era and a start. It also reveals my special feelings to my hometown and expresses my hope to call for social attention to the development and protection of fossil-producing regions.

Photo of Lin Shan at Work 

Third Prize

“Organization”, Yuan Fangzhou 

“Organization”

Inspired by nails on ancient city walls and gates, this work presents this ancient element in an industrialized appearance through combining two industrial products, concrete and glass. It also aims at exploring the relationship between the individual and the whole in an industrial society. Individuality can directly cause uncertainties of the whole, and such uncertainties triggered my exploration of the “Organization” series.

Photo of Yuan Fangzhou at Work

Excellent Award

“View of Heart” Jiang Ying

“View of Heart”

“View of Heart” Details 1-3

Inspiration of the work “View of Heart” comes from my recent reading and thinking that Taoists reaches the natural state of introspection through inner views. I made a meditator on top through techniques used for forming thermoplastics. As for the base, I created a messy and thorny world with blowing technique. I inserted glass fibers and secured them inside before the opening was sealed.

The whole work embodies the Taoist principle of “meditation and inner sobservation”. Through inner observation, our heart and the truth corroborate each other, and the truth can be observed. In a messy and thorny world, the ideal way is to concentrate and keep calm and to eliminate improper thoughts through meditation, namely to reach the most peaceful state during meditation.