Introducing Master Yixing Potter - Ma Yong Qiang （马永强）

We've met many Yixing potters and seen and used many potters' pots, but there is something different about Ma Yong Qiang and his works that make us stop and pay attention.  His ability to capture classical shapes, seemingly with ease, and his use and store of excellent quality, pure clays set him apart from the so many others.

Born in 1969 in the QianLuo yillage of Yixing, he was steeped in Zisha culture from an early age.  When he was 19 he studied under the renowned master Chen Hong Ping (陈洪平).

In the 1990's he began something of an obsession with collecting clays and when he married Jiang Quan Fang (the niece of Grandmaster Jiang Rong) they inherited a large stock of original ore.  Their obsession with clays has continued with for many years, in his own words "any money we had, we spent to store original clay".

Unlike his large stores of clay, his pots are limited, since he only makes fully handmade pots and prefers not to grow the business or focus on the commercial aspects.  His pots have won many awards and been collected by the Capital Museum, China Zisha Museum, Guangdong Museum and many others.

We've been wanting to offer some higher grade zisha pots for years, and have commissioned samples from several studios.  There has always been something not quite right in our minds about the skills or clay of these studios.  It was such a relief to finally meet Ma Yong Qiang.   These pots are perfect.

Rank: Senior Arts and Craft Master — 高级工艺美术师