Chen Lin MFA

"As the title of this essay indicates, Jade Road is not only about jade, but also the story of me and jade. I began by writing about the definition and types of jade, trying to understand what jade means as a material through different cultures and perspectives. Over time, the use and meaning of jade has changed radically, from sacred belief to deviant irony, and jade has revealed unexpected possibilities in different contexts. As a Chinese, I am passionate about my culture. Chinese culture is so far-reaching and profound that I can't help myself in it. In my humble knowledge, I draw parallels between jade and ceramics and Chinese painting. As the saying goes, there is a succession of disciplines and I am not the most knowledgeable about ceramics and Chinese painting, but I am willing to learn and understand them. As the representatives and essence of Chinese culture, they are not only superior in form but also in content, they are the embodiment of the life and spiritual world of their predecessors. I am also interested in Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism, of which nothingness and emptiness are just a drop in the ocean. I have been thinking a lot about the authenticity of culture and its diffusion. There are no standard answers for many things, but I hope that I have some insights into this and that I can gain a better understanding of what culture is. Culture is the life we have had, are having and will have in the future. It is always present in our lives, sometimes clear and sometimes vague, without a fixed shape, like the air, it is constantly changing and merging, sometimes real and sometimes unreal, but it is truly there. In ancient times there was the Silk Road, in my thesis there is the Jade Road, where the ancients overcame hardships and obstacles to break down geographical barriers, and in Idar-Oberstein I am trying to open up more possibilities for jade creation in my own way. Despite what I see as a bottleneck in the Chinese jade carving market, I still keep hope. I know I have a long way to go, but all the scenery and obstacles I experience will become parts of me to generate energies and let me to embrace more beautiful things and people on my road."