The project Terra Vita - Xiamen, was the brainchild of Ineke Gudmundsson, founder of the CEAC, and the support of the Hafnia Foundation. Six sculptors where gathered from different countries to work and display their art together in China. Mr. Vaughn and Mr. Cone used their extensive connections in the world of ceramics to aid in the production of these parts. Many European artists who participated in this project have developed deep connections with China and still re-produce their works.

 

"The idea of developing a collection of large-scale porcelain and ceramics sculptures created by artists from different countries was born one and half year ago. When my husband and I were on a trip to investigate ceramic factories and workplaces in different parts of Chin we discovered how skillful and interesting the ceramic world is in this country. That is far different from all our original imagination about the ancient ceramic kingdom.

We made this travel together with Rodney Cone and Stevens Vaughn who have been working with porcelain factories in different places in China for many years. Besides visiting impressive ceramic factories we found a Ceramic Academy with a remarkable collection of ceramic objects in a mountainous place in Fujian Province. We all became immediately excited by the dream of developing a collection for porcelain and ceramic art in Xiamen.

We decided to do something and started exploring about how to build up an ambitious collection of ceramic art works and expose it to the public. Fujian province is one of the most important provinces in China for porcelain and our Xiamen is one of the most beautiful cities in the province.

So the Chinese European Art Center Xiamen University Art College (CEAC) invited since professional artists from five countries to come to Xiamen and stay here while developing their works. These artists are: Klitsa Antoniou (Cyprus), Bjorn Norgaard (Denmark), Stevens Vaughn (USA), Chen Wen Ling (China), Jon Oskar (Iceland) and Sigurdur Gudmundsson (Iceland).   All the artists showed great interest in the idea and have been working on their works for a few months in Xiamen with a total devotion. The CEAC is grateful for their sincere and committed contribution.

We wish to express our special thanks to Tutto Bene restorant (Xiamen) and Dolce Vita Group for their sponsorship of these works and for their commitment to supporting the conditions for artisits to create and promote contemporary art in China.

Last but not the least, I want to express my gratitude to all people who have been working for this exhibition".

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Ineke Gudmundsson