Lacquerware and porcelain are significant in the history of Chinese civilisation. Lingnan University’s Chamber of Young Snow Art Exhibition Hall is hosting a new exhibition, titled ‘Shine and Shade, Earth and Wood: The Story of Everyday Porcelain and Lacquer’ from 17 February to 2 December 2025 featuring over 30 rare and exquisite lacquer and porcelain pieces from the Tang to the Qing dynasties. Experts and academics from the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), Art Museum of The Chinese University of Hong Kong and Zhejiang Provincial Museum will lecture on the culture, design, and academic research of Chinese handicrafts, and Lingnan will also organise two workshops on ‘The Beauty of Everyday: Experience Session on Chinese Lacquer Decorations’. The public is welcome to register and participate.

Lingnan University’s Chamber of Young Snow Art Exhibition Hall presents a new collection of lacquer and porcelain (Photo: Lingnan University)

Curated by the Department of Digital Arts and Creative Industries at Lingnan University with generous support from the Chamber of Young Snow, which promotes cultural exchanges between the East and West, the exhibition invites the public to explore Chinese everyday life and culture, and provides insights into the material characteristics, craftsmanship, production models, and interwoven histories of lacquerware and porcelain, offering the audience insights into the formation and changes in Chinese daily life culture.

Exhibition Poster (Photo: Lingnan University)

The exhibition features everyday objects from the Tang to the Qing dynasties, with research extending from the seventh to the early 20th century. The various aspects of daily life explored include dining, scholarly appreciation, and incense rituals, divided into two parts: the first, ‘Lacquer’s Shade’, focuses on lacquer dishes, trays, and boxes from the Yuan to the Qing dynasties, highlighting two classic techniques: red carved lacquer, and black lacquer with mother-of-pearl inlay. The second part, ‘Porcelain’s Shine’, examines the forms and decorative techniques of porcelain with both monochrome and painted porcelain vases, pots, bowls, cups, and plates from the Tang to the Qing dynasties.

‘Fencai’ bowl with peony pattern on coral-red ground (Photo: Lingnan University)

Since lacquer and porcelain are entirely different natural materials, each marking a key point in the history of Chinese material culture, their emergence and convergence transformed daily life, leaving an enduring impact to this day. Lacquer, made from processed tree sap, boasts a long history but is no longer a primary material for everyday objects. Porcelain on the other hand is composed of refined clay fired at high temperatures, and glazed to increase its durability and aesthetic appeal. This exhibition hopes visitors will gain new insights from seemingly ordinary everyday items and develop a deeper understanding of the intricate relationship between people and objects.

Square carved red yellow-ground lacquer box with dragon and ‘tian xia tai ping’ characters (Photo: Lingnan University)

Lingnan University will also hold a lecture series entitled ‘Entwined Paths: A Historical Dialogue between Lacquer and Porcelain’ on 25 and 27 March. Speakers will be Dr Helen Glaister, Arts of Asia Course Director at the V&A Museum, and Dr Wang Guanyu, Associate Curator of Antiquities at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. The three-session series will explore the cultural and design interaction between lacquer and porcelain. Ms Fan Peiling, Director of the Craft Department at Zhejiang Provincial Museum, will host a discussion on 26 March, on the history of and research in Chinese lacquerware. The lectures are free of charge, and the public is welcome to register and attend.

Lingnan University will also hold two workshops, ‘The Beauty of Everyday: Experience Session on Chinese Lacquer Decorations’, showing the creative process and joy of traditional Chinese handicrafts. Unique artworks will be created on site, and the work of craftsmen of the past discussed.

Exhibition details

‘Shine and Shade, Earth and Wood: The Story of Everyday Porcelain and Lacquer’ is open to the public from now until 2 December 2025. Admission is free, and details are as follows:

Venue

Chamber of Young Snow Art Exhibition Hall, 3/F, Patrick Lee Yuen Keung Academic Building (South Wing), Lingnan University, Tuen Mun, Hong Kong

Opening hours

10:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Closed on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays)

Reservation link

https://bit.ly/CYSHallVisit (Visitors should book at least three working days in advance.)

For more details about the exhibition, please click HERE.

Photo: Lingnan University