Master Tan Guanghui

Master Tan Guanghui is a National-level Inheritor of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Guangcai porcelain, a distinction awarded to artisans who are entrusted with safeguarding China's most important traditional crafts. After more than 40 years dedicated to perfecting hand-painted porcelain, he has grown from a novice into a successful expert of the craft. He is hailed as the “King of Hand-Painted Roosters,” celebrated for his expressive rooster motifs that vary in shape, style and temperament.

As an artist, Tan balances deep respect for heritage with a willingness to experiment, continually striving, improving and challenging himself. His partnership with platforms such as the K11 Craft & Guild Foundation has been featured in exhibitions, and his collaboration with fashion designer Guo Pei resulted in a completely new and unprecedented interdisciplinary work that subverts the traditional, rigid ways of using the material.

When the “Glazed Splendor” project began, neither Master Tan nor designer Guo Pei knew what to expect. With Tan working in porcelain and Guo Pei in fashion, the collaboration brought together two materials that could not be more different. Their paths only crossed because of the project, which UBS helped initiate by bringing the two artists together.

This connection made it possible for two distinct crafts to converge, allowing Guangcai porcelain and haute couture to step beyond their usual boundaries and form a cross-disciplinary expression neither artist could have achieved alone. Reflecting on the collaboration, Master Tan notes that the introduction through UBS was what encouraged him to explore the idea of creating a wearable porcelain piece.

The idea is to expand our abilities as artists by seeking trying new directions to pursue a final artistic creation,  he says.

The idea of creating a garment from porcelain brought both artists into an unfamiliar territory. When the request was first received, Master Tan felt puzzled, wondering how all the different porcelain pieces would fit together to form a piece of clothing. Guo Pei, who made a very quick initial sketch, explained that the entire creation process was very short and limited by time.

As the project progressed, the work naturally widened beyond Master Tan and Guo Pei's studios and into conversations with artisans and technicians in Jingdezhen. After all, creating a piece that ultimately required 13,000 porcelain tiles, composed of two layers to sandwich the gold wire, undoubtedly required new approaches.

Working with the local craftsmen of Jingdezhen, they explored how to make each piece very thin and curved. They refined the material through continuous testing, failing five times before achieving success. The result was a groundbreaking solution shaped through shared effort, discussion, and experimentation.

Not every step of a collaboration is perfectly aligned, but these differences did not stop Master Tan and Guo Pei. The artists were united by a common spirit of strongly wanting to continuously improve and surpass themselves in their profession.

After communicating through phone calls and sending images back and forth, they reached a consensus. They discovered that their artistic roles were naturally complementary: Master Tan focused on the making and painting, while Guo Pei was responsible for dividing the porcelain pieces, composition and assembly. Working together with UBS as a coordinating partner, they carefully discussed the possibilities and ultimately agreed on the final design and how each piece should come together.

Motifs and patterns are key elements in the finished work of the “Glazed Splendor”, particularly in the painted pieces that define Master Tan's craft. The design uses the unique gold tones of Cantonese porcelain to create the theme of the clothing. The piece incorporates China’s flower, the peony, and the Swiss Edelweiss flower. Master Tan and Guo Pei chose these elements as a way for Chinese and foreign cultures to join together in cultural exchange, creating a concept and overall direction for the porcelain work.

In its finished form, the “Glazed Splendor” is a striking garment. Guo Pei confirmed that the dress is composed of over 6,000 pieces of porcelain, and in fact, more than 13,000 pieces were needed for the two layers. For Master Tan, the moment held the satisfaction of seeing the garment successfully crafted through their joint effort, and he hopes the piece will become one of his greatest works of art.

“As artists, there should be no guidelines on the path to art,” he says. “The path of creativity requires the constant pursuit of improvement and challenging yourself. An artist’s highest ideal is to elevate ourselves to higher levels.”

1980s – Began apprenticeship in traditional Cantonese porcelain (Guangcai) craftsmanship in Guangzhou

1990s-2000s – Earned reputation as "King of Hand-Painted Roosters" for signature rooster designs that varied in shape, style, and temperament

2000s-2010s – Named National-level Inheritor of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Guangcai porcelain, China’s highest recognition for traditional artisans

2020 – Partnership with K11 Craft & Guild Foundation

2023 – Created "Flourishing Lingnan," presented to French President Emmanuel Macron during state visit and gained international recognition for diplomatic and cultural contributions

2024 – Collaboration with Guo Pei on "Glazed Splendor" an unprecedented wearable porcelain concept using flexible, curved, and thin porcelain tiles. More than 13,000 porcelain pieces were created for the dress