Chun Fang versus Pi Fang

Pan Chun Fang and Li Pi Fang were two potters who spent all their life in making teapots. In their hot pursue for perfection in this art, they had created some masterpieces. It is indeed fortunate for me to have collected some of their teapots in the early 1990s.

Why were they so famous in the early 80s and 90s? There was a saying in Yixing during that time, in  all the male potters there is Chun Fang and in  all the female potters there is Pifang (男有春芳，女有碧芳), this explained their popularity among the potters in Yixing. Obviously they were well known in the art of teapot making and both shared the last name Fang. They were  both senior craftsmasters and both were at a very young age. Li Pifang came to Singapore in the 1900s and brought her teapots for an exhibition organised by Chang Su Trading company. Prof Pan is also no stranger in Singapore as he visited Singapore on numerous occasions, to hold exhibition of his works and give talks to art collectors.

I have collected quite a number of their teapots and I am really pleased with them. Of course, Prof Pan is famous for his pumpkin teapots while Pi Fang was good at making teapots of traditional shape and design. She made them with such perfection that it is a pleasure to use them to brew tea. Of course one has to be very careful when handling these pots as they are really precious. Do you know why? Li Pi Fang passed away in 2004. Some one told me that she committed suicide. So there would be no teapot made by her after 2004. Prof Pan is currently of an advanced age, I am not sure if he is still actively engaged in teapot making. He used to be a professor at the Nanjing Academy of Fine Arts. He had conducted many training courses in creativity and artistic design in area of art and craft.

Prof Pan's exhibition in 1991

Prof Pan's Pumpkin teapots

Purplish clay pumpkin set



Red clay pumpkin set

潘春芳 南京艺术学院教授、硕导 江苏省陶艺学会副理事长美国西弗吉尼亚洲立大学艺术学院客座教授 1936年9月生于江苏宜兴，1955年入宜兴紫砂工艺厂，师从朱可心学艺。1964年毕业于中央艺术陶瓷系本科，1978年入研究生班。1981年入南京艺术学院，主持陶艺专业工作。1987年主编《紫砂陶器造型》由中国轻工业出版社出版； 1987年《砂壶集》由香港远东出版社出版；1992年《茗壶竞艳》（主要编委）由译林出版社出版；1998年《宜兴紫砂》由上海人民美术出版社出版。陶艺作品《藏女》、《石城南瓜茶具》、《彩釉挂盘》曾获得各种奖项。1995年及1999年先后以中国陶艺代表团成员身份访问欧洲及日本。曾多次在美国、新加坡、加拿大、台湾等地讲学，并举办夫妇陶艺作品展。

Prof Pan in his early days

Prof Pan's name card

Li Pi Fang's traditional pot

Another of Pi Fang's work

 

李碧芳: 高级工艺美术师。1939年12月生于江苏省宜兴丁蜀镇。
1955年10月考入“蜀山陶业生产合作社紫砂工场紫砂工艺学习班”，拜朱可心先生老师，学习紫砂制陶技艺。在如父一般的恩师指教下，她虚心好学，心灵手巧，年轻时就享有“男有春芳，女有碧芳”的赞誉。
1958年8月受聘任紫砂工艺辅导，开始培训学徒，先后连续二十多年培养了一批又一批技艺人才，共计数百人，不知倾注了多少心血，在教授学生的过程中，既要完成额定任务，又要传授陶艺。她不断进取，在紫砂艺陶制作技艺上，不仅掌握了光器、花器、筋瓢器门类制作的泥性和技法，还悉心学习其他老艺人的长处，为己所用，不断攻克技术难关，不断攀登技术高峰。
1982年镇江地区授予工艺美术师称号。
1984年晋升为高级工艺美术师。