Deng Ying: The Contemporary Folk Artist
Beijing based artist Deng Ying embellishes small, everyday objects, such as porcelain plates, apothecary jars and paper hand-fans with playful, folk art scenes. The vignettes often feature the artist herself in caricature participating in typical daily activities.
Though Deng Ying’s illustrations are inarguably contemporary in style, her frequent use of blue and white directly references traditional Chinese porcelain. Besides her preferred color palette, Deng Ying fires her porcelain in the imperial kilns of Jingdezhen, China—placing her work in direct conversation with its historic roots.
Hand-Painted Porcelain Seal Box by Deng Ying
Jingdezhen became known internationally as the premier center for Chinese porcelain as early as the 14th century, a reputation it maintains to this day. Beginning with the Ming Dynasty period, the Jingdezhen kilns were controlled by the emperor, who used them to produce large quantities of imperial porcelain for gifting to members of the court.
A collection of works in porcelain by Deng Ying
Deng Ying’s aesthetic is independent, fearless and full of humor—details that make her a standout among a sea of contemporary Chinese artists. Made exclusively for PAGODA RED, we are honored to carry Deng Ying’s limited edition hand-painted porcelain series.
PAGODA RED founder, Betsy Nathan, with Deng Ying in front of her studio
Explore More
Located in the Bucktown neighborhood of Chicago, our dynamic 15,000 square-foot gallery is always changing. Storied furniture, fine art and extraordinary objects from around the world are waiting to be discovered. We invite you to experience the spirit of PAGODA RED online or in our gallery.
