Born on July 2nd, 1958, in Yixing, Jiangsu Province, a renowned hometown of Chinese zisha (purple clay) art, Zhang Zhiqing was raised in a traditional zisha craftsmanship family. In 2000, he founded the "Xianyun Caolu" Zisha Studio, dedicated to inheriting and innovating zisha clay decoration art.Since childhood, Zhang Zhiqing has been passionate about fine arts, which led him to wholeheartedly embark on the path of zisha clay decoration. From 1985 to the present, after more than 30 years of diligent research and unremitting exploration, Zhang Zhiqing has finally established a prominent position in the field of zisha clay painting decoration, becoming a well-respected master in the zisha industry.
Zhang Zhiqing is proficient in a variety of zisha craftsmanship, including clay painting, color painting, ink painting, and carving. He skillfully integrates Chinese calligraphy, painting and the beauty of nature into zisha teapot bodies, creating works with profound artistic conception and rich cultural heritage. Zhang Zhiqing's unique zisha clay painting style has been widely recognized—each decorated zisha work exudes elegance and charm, making his decoration skills unparalleled in the zisha circle.
In particular, Zhang Zhiqing has developed unique techniques in decorating zisha artworks with classical figure portraits, making remarkable contributions to the design, decoration and innovative development of Chinese ceramic art. The various zisha masterpieces designed and created by Zhang Zhiqing have won numerous awards in domestic and international zisha competitions, and are deeply favored by zisha collectors and enthusiasts at home and abroad.
Zhang Zhiqing's works not only embody the traditional charm of Yixing zisha teapots but also inject new vitality into zisha decoration art, making them ideal collections for zisha lovers and precious gifts for cultural exchange. If you are looking for high-quality handcrafted zisha teapots with exquisite decoration, Zhang Zhiqing's works are definitely worth your attention.
The Bond of Clay Painting
In 1981, while collecting antiques, Master Zhang Zhiqing discovered an old teapot decorated with clay painting. It was a single‑color clay painting, and the craftsmanship was not particularly sophisticated.Yet he found it refreshing and unique. Attracted by its distinctive beauty, he decided to create clay painting art himself. Through repeated exploration, research, and hands‑on practice, and after several failed attempts, he finally mastered the ancient method of preparing clay slurry. He successfully replicated the entire vintage clay painting work.This breakthrough gave him strong motivation to keep improving. In the following years, Master Zhang continued to refine his clay material techniques and achieved remarkable accomplishments in the art of Yixing clay painting and purple clay teapot craftsmanship.
Zisha Documentary | Zhang Zhiqing, The Master of Clay Painting
Featured Works
Ziye Shipiao Teapot
【Capacity】: 300cc
【Clay Material】: Raw Ore Purple
【Clay Artisan】: Zhang Zhiqing（ National Senior Master of Arts and Crafts）
A classic Ziye Shipiao shape with a neat, steady triangular cone body. The bridge knob, straight spout and ring handle are perfectly proportioned, offering a comfortable grip and smooth water flow.
The teapot body is decorated with hand-piled landscape clay painting using raw ore clay. The foreground features delicate thatched pavilions and rockeries; the middle ground is enlivened by flying birds and walking figures; the distant view presents misty mountains and clouds, containing a thousand miles of charm within a small space.
Blue, green, ochre and white hues gently contrast with the warm dark brown body, showing exquisite meticulous painting while preserving the authentic texture of Zisha clay.