Faculty

Associate Professor,

Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University

History of Chinese craft art

Chen Yanshu is committed to a comprehensive portrayal of ancient Chinese craft art of different historical periods by thorough and systematic collection and account of both material and textual evidence, as well as to the analysis of specific artistic features, explication of historical development, evolutionary path and stylistic changes, etc. She places equal emphasis upon systematic study of macro-framework and in-depth investigation of specific cases. Her studies and research contribute to the revitalization of traditional ethnic culture, to render accessible and intelligible the historical development of ancient Chinese craft art as well as the artistic refinement of ancient craftsmen and artists, and the evolution of aesthetic sensibility over the years, with a hope to obtain a thorough understanding of traditional culture of craft art and to provide exemplary studies conducive to modern craft art and design.

Chen Yanshu has participated in the project of “Research on Craft Art in the Wei, Jin and the Northern and Southern Dynasties” assigned by Ministry of Education; and the National Research Project of Art and Science “Research on Craft Art in Song, Liao and Jin Dynasties”; she also participated in the composition of entries of craft art in the Encyclopedia of Chinese Fine Arts and the second edition of Encyclopedia of China.

Chen has published up to ten academic articles; composed the chapter related to the Wei, Jin and the Northern and Southern Dynasties in the book General History of Chinese Silk (Suzhou University Press, 2005), which was part of the project of National Tenth Five Year Publishing Plan for Featured Books, and was awarded as “Top Ten Books of National Archaeological Studies”. Under the assignment of Foreign Language Press and Yale University Press, Chen Yanshu is responsible for the amendment and supplementation of the entire manuscript of The Art of Chinese Silk to be jointly published by these two presses soon.

History of Chinese Craft Art, Academic Writing, Craft Art History in Song, Liao and Jin Dynasties