Recently a company reached out to me wanting to showcase one of their ceramic artists that has a passion for BJDs. Of course I was intrigued by the idea of BJD inspired cups and bowls. It was also very heart warming to know that this company selects artists and promotes them on their site.
About the artist: Liu Xinyu
1. Can you tell us a little more about your Planet Hug Collection?
Currently, there are NONO cup, OROR mini bowl, PUU milk jar and READYY egg cup in the collection. I am planning on diffusers, coffee cup & saucer, vases and other products, all made in ceramic. More descriptions can be found here.
2. Do you own any BJDs? If so which ones?
I don’t own BJDs besides my own creations at this moment. But artist Mark Ryden inspired me a lot.
3. Have you ever thought of making BJD dolls and selling them?
I only make ceramic BJD dolls of a very limited quantity. Most of them were purchased by collectors in China. Some of my BJD dolls can be found here.
4. What do you like about BJDs? What is your favourite part about making ceramics?
A laborious undertaking, the manufacturing of porcelain requires patience, exertion and heightened attention to details. Beginning with the procurement of raw materials, more than ten stages unfold beneficiation, mixing, forming, drying, thermal processing, glazing and so on. The porcelain must be fired three separate times in extreme heat of 800-1300°C for over 70 hours in total. Each step also entails mutual adaptation between the craftsman and the craft.
Yet, what truly begets the endurance and the uniqueness of ceramic is the unpredictable factors in its making – the potential burns breaks and deforms. In this respect, each porcelain product is like a demanding baby. The journey it takes from its moment of birth to its arrival on a pair of hands is as serendipitous as it is predestined.
Tips on using ceramics:
When using your fun new cups and bowls know that they are great at retaining heat and can actually withstand very VERY high temperatures. However, they are very delicate and can crack if you subject them to sudden temperature changes. Therefore, if you are looking to drink that yummy piping hot tea, I suggest you run your cup under some warm water before you pour the very hot tea into the cup.
Cleaning your ceramics:
When you are ready to clean them use warm water and soap. If you notice any stains at all you can create a baking soda paste and scrub the area until it is clean. Rinse and let it air dry.
NONO Cup-
The NONO cup has a cute little face and very light blushing. It gives off a look of mischievousness and fun. It has 2 magnetic arms that can be positioned. It is a perfect size for freshly brewed tea. Since it is ceramic it will keep your drink nice and warm for a longer period of time then most cups. Ceramic tends to lose heat slower rather than most kinds of mugs since it is porous and therefore makes conduction occur slower. All in all I really enjoy using this cup and it is so much fun playing with the arms!
ORO Bowl-
This bowl features 4 cute little faces and each one portrays different emotions. It is a cute sized bowl that is perfect for placing fruits or small snacks inside. I really enjoy looking at all the details that go into the faces for this bowl. It even has very delicate looking freckles of the face. My favorite face is the one with teeth showing. It is really cute! I have even thought of using the bowl as a cup too!
PUU Cup-
This is quite literally a cheeky cup! At first glance I was surprised to see that it had a little bottom! But the more and more I saw photos of it, the more I thought how cute and funny it was. It has a face on one side of the cup that looks actually quite sassy! It has its arms on it’s hips and it’s lips are parted and ready to say something. I think it is a very unique piece and could be a great talking piece if you brought it out in front of guests.
Where can I get my cute BJD inspired ceramics?
If you want to check out the collection or get one for yourself, please check out the Vermillion Collection! It is a great way to support an artist and also add something unique to your collection!
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