Jiani Ma. "The Story of Clay — A Little Potter's Notebook." MA Practicum Project, University of Washington, 2017.
Adviser:
The Story of Clay is a picture book on the making of Chinese Zisha tea-ware for children and adults. My book explains the production of the renowned Zisha tea-ware through the narrative of a boy nicknamed the “little potter” (yes, I had the “little prince” in my mind). I try to introduce the aesthetic and technical aspects of Zisha in a precise but playful way, by inviting my readers to a journey of building, learning, and growing up. Through the protagonist’s interaction with his parents/teachers, I also portray the working condition of local craftsmen in a Yixing workshop. I look forward to developing this book manuscript into publishing projects.