Joyce Lin

During the illustrious Northern Song Dynasty of ancient China (960–1127 AD), a unique porcelain art known as Konoha Tenmoku or "wood leaf firing" emerged. This intricate technique involved embedding a delicate leaf into the porcelain's glaze and subjecting it to blistering temperatures exceeding 1200 degrees Celsius. The resulting tea bowl bore the delicate impression of the leaf, its veins aglow with a mesmerizing metallic sheen. When filled with tea, the leaf motif seemed to float, reminiscent of a celestial dance in the night sky.

Though Konoha Tenmoku faded into obscurity for centuries, the 1980s saw the beginning of its renaissance at the hands of prominent contemporary artisans. Among them is Joyce Lin, a visionary who resurrected the ancient craft and expanded its horizons with innovative leaf compositions. 

While impressing a single leaf onto Tenmoku porcelain is challenging enough, Lin ventured further by introducing entire leaf compositions into her works. This innovative approach elevates her pieces, imbuing them with a Zen-like essence and offering a fresh perspective on the traditional Konoha Tenmoku craft.

For Lin, these graceful yet humble leaves symbolize nature's ephemeral brushstrokes, coming together in a breathtaking visual tapestry. Her pieces breathe new life into leaves once tossed by the wind, metamorphosing them into ethereal motifs—butterflies in graceful flight, lotus leaves floating on serene ponds, or the billowing skirts of maidens in a gentle breeze.

Every piece of Lin's Konoha Tenmoku craft is a unique testament to art and nature's symbiosis. "Each design is singular, stemming from the inherent uniqueness of leaves. It's a challenge to recreate identical pieces," she says. Her creations encapsulate the delicate balance of existence, where perceived flaws reveal a concealed perfection, and life's fleeting moments crystallize into timeless beauty and tranquility.

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2021 "Ten Directions Yaji Ceramic Creative Art Exhibition [Withered Leaves • Bodhi]" Teacher Lin Ying-ru's Solo Exhibition, held at The Great Roots Forestry Spa Resort.
2020 "Withered Leaves • Bodhi" at the Spot Handcraft Gallery 3F, Solo Exhibition at the Spot Handcraft Gallery.
2019 "Zen Thoughts" at at the Spot Handcraft Gallery 3F, Solo Exhibition at the Spot Handcraft Gallery.
2018 Solo Exhibition at the China Beijing Korean Folk Culture Center.
2018 Solo Exhibition at the Tianjin Global Gathering Art Palace.

JOINT EXHIBITIONS

The Spot Handcraft Gallery exhibition, Global Gathering Art Palace exhibition, China Xiamen International Tea Exhibition and Expo, and many other joint exhibitions.

AWARDS & ACQUISITIONS

Since 2014, most of Joyce Lin’s works have received the "Spot Handcraft Gallery Yingge Kiln Trademark Authorization Evaluation."
In 2015, at the 5th Taiwan International Gold Teapot Award Ceramic Design Competition, her work was honored with the "Tea Art Recommendation Award."
In 2015, at the Yingge Ceramic Museum, it received the "New Ceramic Award" for the "Chalcedony Teapot." 
In 2016, at the Yingge Ceramic Museum, Lin received the "Yingge Kiln Trademark Authorization Evaluation" for the "Wooden Leaf Gold Sprinkling Tea Set."
In 2016, at the Yingge Ceramic Museum, Lin received the "New Ceramic Award" for the "Wooden Leaf Blue Crystal Fighting Tea Bowl."
In 2016, the Professor's Association awarded Lin the "Cultural Creative Aesthetics Gold Award."
In 2016, Travel in Taiwan featured Blue-crystal Konoha Tenmoku by Taocheer in issue no. 75.
In 2018, at the 14th China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industry Fair, Lin’s creative work "Butterfly Lotus" received a bronze award.
In 2018, Lin’s “Wooden Leaf Tianmu Butterfly Lotus Plate” received the 2018 Gold Glaze Award from the New Taipei City Ceramic Glaze Association.
In 2020, at the 8th Taiwan International Gold Teapot Award Ceramic Design Competition, the "Wooden Leaf Patterned Fighting Tea Tea Set" received an honorable mention.