With a 3D printer nozzle rotating as it smoothly extrudes clay, a delicate ceramic work is gradually taking shape — a scene that would once have been unimaginable to earlier generations of artisans in Jingdezhen.
It is happening in a studio in the ancient Chinese porcelain capital, a city in East China's Jiangxi province with a porcelain-making history of more than 1,700 years.
The studio's owner, Michael May, a 38-year-old ceramic artist from the United States, believes this new way of "printing" ceramics can greatly expand both the possibilities and efficiency of ceramic production.
"I originally thought that Jingdezhen would reject new technologies, but I didn't expect that there would be 3D printing factories everywhere. The equipment can be rented even in a village," he says.
May adds that the ancient city's openness and inclusiveness led him to stay, continue his experiments and creations, and offer courses to share his techniques and ideas.
