Crafting a future for traditional arts

[Photo provided to China Daily]

The 12 Chinese signs of the zodiac replace the Roman and Arabic numerals more commonly used to tell the time.

The design of the dial created by Guo is imbued with traditional culture, and garnered a great deal of attention.

Guo says that at an international watch exhibition in Switzerland last year, a local resident bought the watch and mailed it back to China with the request of getting it signed by the artist.

"The buyer said that he bought this watch as a gift for his wife, the woman he loves and cherishes the most. He said it would be perfect with my signature on it," Guo is proud that his design has been recognized by the West.

Even with so many artworks accomplished and a museum established, Guo has a bigger dream.

He had been looking for a large space to create a sancai ceramic town, until he locked onto a small village named Huashu'ao in a mountainous area of western Henan in 2015.

In the ceramics town he established Guo displays both his innovative pieces and copies of sancai from different eras. He is building the town as a window for people to learn about the history of the art form and its modern interpretations, which will help them to appreciate the beauty of sancai from all aspects.

"The town is 200 hectares in size. It is a large work of art in itself as sancai art has been blended into the construction of the space," Guo says.