"Inspired Morning" Handpainted Plate by Deng Ying

Deng Ying is a Beijing based artist who created a series of paintings on porcelain objects for Pagoda Red that includes this petite porcelain plate painted with a scholars rock and people of all ages exercising around it. The artist frequently paints what she sees every day. This is a fresh look at the tradition of early morning exercise gatherings that take place in Chinese parks all over the country. It is as if the stone is giving energy to the people. Sculptural stones have been appreciated as thoughtful inspiration for Chinese artists for thousands of years, but are not generally associated with the physical. Deng Ying looks at culture with a fresh eye. She worked on this playful series at the Chinese imperial kilns in Jingdezhen with the hope that these symbolic objects would touch many. This plate is one-of-a-kind, signed and presented in a hand-made cushioned wood presentation box.