Xu Yafeng 徐亚凤
Chinese name: 徐亚凤
Pinyin: Xú Yàfèng
Born: April 1940
Associated with: Jingdezhen, Jiangxi, China
Specialties: Famille-rose porcelain painting, flowers and birds, landscapes, figures, Water-Dot technique (水点法)
Title: Chinese Arts and Crafts Master (中国工艺美术大师)
About Xu Yafeng
Xu Yafeng (徐亚凤) is a nationally recognized Chinese ceramic artist closely associated with the modern porcelain tradition of Jingdezhen. She was born in 1940 into a distinguished family of ceramic artists and became particularly known for famille-rose porcelain painting and her continuation of the traditional Water-Dot technique (水点法).
She graduated from the Fine Arts Department of the Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute in 1958 and subsequently worked in China’s ceramic research and production system, spending much of her professional career designing and decorating porcelain.
Her artistic specialties include flower-and-bird painting, landscapes and figures, although floral subjects became especially closely associated with her artistic identity.
A Ceramic Family
Xu Yafeng comes from an important Jingdezhen ceramic family with direct connections to some of the most influential porcelain painters of the twentieth century.
Her grandfather, Xu Zhongnan (徐仲南), was one of the celebrated artists associated with the Eight Friends of Zhushan (珠山八友), an influential group of Jingdezhen porcelain painters.
Xu Yafeng was also taught by her uncle Liu Yucen (刘雨岑), another member of the Eight Friends of Zhushan. Liu became particularly famous for developing the Water-Dot technique (水点法) used in porcelain painting.
Xu Yafeng began studying famille-rose flower-and-bird painting with Liu Yucen in 1951. This provided a direct artistic connection between the Republican-era Zhushan porcelain-painting tradition and the modern Jingdezhen ceramic art practiced by Xu Yafeng.
Her husband, Zhang Songmao (张松茂), is also a nationally recognized Chinese ceramic artist. Their daughter Zhang Hui (张慧) became a ceramic artist as well, continuing the family’s ceramic tradition.
The Water-Dot Technique 水点法
Xu Yafeng is especially associated with the continuation and development of the Water-Dot technique taught to her by Liu Yucen.
The technique is particularly suited to delicate flower painting. Carefully controlled applications of pigment are used to build soft, layered petals and subtle variations in color and density.
Peach blossoms became one of Xu Yafeng’s signature subjects, and her work is frequently associated with the name 水点桃花, translated as “Water-Dot Peach Blossoms.”
This floral tradition became an important part of her artistic identity and connects her work directly to the porcelain-painting techniques developed by the previous generation of Jingdezhen masters.
The 7501 Porcelain Project
One of the most historically significant episodes of Xu Yafeng’s career occurred in 1975.
That year, the ceramic research institute in Jingdezhen was commissioned to produce a special group of porcelain for Mao Zedong. The project was conducted under the code 7501, and the resulting porcelain later became popularly known as 7501 porcelain (7501瓷) or “Mao porcelain.”
Xu Yafeng was among the artists associated with the creation and design of the project.
The decorative schemes associated with 7501 included floral designs such as plum blossoms and peach blossoms. Xu Yafeng’s experience with floral porcelain painting and the Water-Dot tradition placed her within one of the most famous state porcelain projects of twentieth-century China.
Today, surviving examples of authentic 7501 porcelain are historically significant objects and have become highly collectible.
Recognition and Career
Xu Yafeng’s professional career and recognition span several decades.
- 1958: Graduated from the Fine Arts Department of the Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute.
- 1975: Participated in the design and production associated with the 7501 porcelain project.
- 1978: A famille-rose red plum Tianqiu vase designed by Xu Yafeng received second prize in a ceramic design and production exhibition organized by the Jiangxi ceramic industry and Jingdezhen art organizations.
- 1982: A famille-rose peach-blossom wine vessel received third prize in a Jingdezhen ceramic art competition.
- 1983: A famille-rose wisteria-and-bird tea set received third prize in another Jingdezhen ceramic art competition.
- 1990: Received recognition from China’s Ministry of Light Industry for thirty years of work in the arts and crafts industry.
- 1993: Received professional recognition in Jingdezhen and won a major award for her famille-rose Butterflies Among Flowers porcelain work.
- 1994: Her family was recognized in Jingdezhen as a Ceramic Family (陶瓷世家).
- 2006: Received the national title Chinese Arts and Crafts Master (中国工艺美术大师).
- 2014: Her porcelain plaque Fragrant Orchid (幽兰飘香) was selected for permanent collection at the APEC Yanqi Lake International Convention Center.
Notable Works and Collections
Xu Yafeng’s work is best known for elegant porcelain painting featuring flowers, birds and traditional Chinese pictorial compositions.
Works associated with her career include:
- Water-Dot Peach Blossoms (水点桃花)
- Wisteria and Bird (紫藤小鸟)
- Butterflies Among Flowers (花穿蝴蝶)
- Fragrant Orchid (幽兰飘香)
Her biography and career materials report that examples of her work have entered museum and institutional collections in China and abroad.
Her artistic importance lies not only in individual works but also in the preservation and continuation of a Jingdezhen porcelain-painting lineage extending through Xu Zhongnan and Liu Yucen.
Xu Yafeng and Jianzhan
Collectors may encounter modern Jian-style tea bowls, boxes and presentation material carrying the name 徐亚凤.
Contemporary Chinese sales and social-media material also shows Jian-style tea bowls marketed in association with Xu Yafeng’s name.
However, an important distinction should be made.
The authoritative biographical information located for Xu Yafeng primarily identifies her as a Jingdezhen porcelain painter and designer, particularly associated with famille-rose decoration and the Water-Dot painting tradition. These sources do not establish her as a traditional Jian kiln potter specializing in the forming and firing of Jianzhan.
For this reason, the presence of the name 徐亚凤 on a Jian-style bowl, box, booklet or certificate should not by itself be interpreted as proof that Xu Yafeng personally formed and fired the bowl.
Depending on the individual object, her name could indicate artistic association, design, decoration, authorization, collaboration, collection or another relationship with the piece.
The exact nature of that relationship should be established through the documentation accompanying the individual object whenever possible.
Collector Identification
The Chinese characters for Xu Yafeng are:
徐亚凤
Romanization: Xu Yafeng
Collectors researching pieces associated with her may find the following Chinese search terms useful:
- 徐亚凤 — Xu Yafeng
- 徐亚凤 陶瓷 — Xu Yafeng ceramics
- 徐亚凤 水点桃花 — Xu Yafeng Water-Dot Peach Blossom
- 徐亚凤 7501毛瓷 — Xu Yafeng 7501 porcelain
- 徐亚凤 建盏 — Xu Yafeng Jianzhan
References & Further Reading
National Development and Reform Commission of China
Official documentation of the fifth group of Chinese Arts and Crafts Masters, including Xu Yafeng.
View official source
Jingdezhen Ceramic University / China Light Industry Ceramic Research Institute
Biographical profile of Xu Yafeng and her ceramic career.
View Xu Yafeng profile
Jingdezhen Ceramic University / China Light Industry Ceramic Research Institute
Chinese Arts and Crafts Masters reference.
View master directory
Jingdezhen Ceramic University
Biography of Zhang Hui documenting Xu Yafeng as her mother and teacher.
View university source
People’s Culture Heritage / Minsheng Weekly
2024 profile discussing Xu Yafeng, her ceramic family, Water-Dot technique and artistic career.
Read the profile
CCTV
Background on the Eight Friends of Zhushan, Xu Zhongnan, Liu Yucen and the Water-Dot porcelain-painting tradition.
View CCTV source
Sina Collection
Profile discussing Xu Yafeng’s ceramic art and involvement with the 7501 porcelain project.
Read the article
Research Note: English-language information about Xu Yafeng remains limited. This page combines Chinese institutional sources, historical publications and collector documentation. Attribution of individual objects should be evaluated using their certificates, seals, packaging and provenance. In particular, the appearance of Xu Yafeng’s name on modern Jian-style wares should not automatically be interpreted as evidence that she personally formed and fired the object unless supporting documentation establishes her role.
