Ying Linfa is a member of the China Democratic League, a craft artist, a rural revitalization skills master, a National First-Class/Senior Technician, a member of the China International Tea Culture Research Association, an expert in the Research Group on the Origin of Yixing Zisha Culture, an Overseas Advisory Committee Member of the Korea International Zen Tea Culture Research Association, a Ceramic Art Master of Heilongjiang Province, a Folk Craft Art Master of Henan Province, Deputy Secretary-General of the Shandong Youth Artists Association, a Visiting Professor at Jiangxi Normal University, and a Specially Appointed Visiting Professor at Zhejiang Traditional Handicraft College.
Connection with Zhuni Clay: Zhuni clay belongs to the red clay mineral category and is a water-soluble mineral material, known for its tenderness and purity. Due to its delicate nature, Zhuni has a lower sintering temperature compared to other Zisha minerals. Lower sintering temperatures result in a bright red color, while higher temperatures yield a deep red hue. During kiln firing, Zhuni is highly prone to deformation; the higher the kiln temperature, the greater the shrinkage rate, making shaping particularly challenging. Often, Zhuni teapots exhibit slanted spouts or bent handles due to significant shrinkage and deformation during firing. These difficulties in forming deter many skilled teapot artists. Why does Ying Linfa exclusively favor Zhuni clay? He recalls: In the 1980s, while assisting his father in preparing and processing clay materials, he began learning Zisha teapot craftsmanship from masters in his spare time. On a trip from his hometown Fudong Town to Yixing City, he noticed a tractor slowly driving along National Highway 104 near Zhuang Village, fully loaded with Zisha mineral materials. With years of experience in processing clay, Ying recognized the earthy-yellow ore as high-quality Zhuang Village Xiaohongni. He accelerated his motorcycle to stop the driver and inquired, ‘Where is this clay from?’ The driver replied, ‘It was freshly excavated from Zhuang Village, with about ten truckloads planned for processing at Dingshan clay refining workshops.’ After examining the clay’s color, Ying knew it was rare and exceptional. He asked, ‘How much per ton?’ The driver answered, ‘1,500 yuan.’ Ying decisively said, ‘I’ll take all the clay on this truck and the newly excavated material.’ Surprised, the driver responded, ‘You want that much? Including what’s left at the mine, there are over sixty tons!’ Ying confirmed, ‘I’ll take it all, but you must offer a discount.’ After negotiation, they settled at 1,000 yuan per ton, with full delivery and a one-time payment without delay. At the time, 60,000 yuan was an unimaginable sum for many. Ying scraped together funds through borrowing to pay the driver upfront. After settling the payment, the driver left happily, while neighbors criticized Ying for spending a fortune on what they called ‘useless mud,’ deeming it foolish.After obtaining the clay through the mining process, Ying Linfa treasured it immensely. Once the storage site for the clay was secured, he began refining the clay and creating test pieces. When the test pieces were fired and removed from the kiln, Ying Linfa’s eyes lit up with pleasant surprise. The clay he had purchased was not just ordinary Zhaozhuang (small red clay), but the rare Zhaozhuang Zhuni clay, which was four to five times more valuable than the small red clay at the time. From then on, Ying Linfa dedicated himself to studying the forming techniques and firing processes for Zhuni teapots, a passion that has remained unwavering to this day.
Ying Linfa was born in 1966 in Dingshu Town, Yixing, known as the ‘Pottery Capital.’ He is renowned in the Zisha community for specializing in Zhuni teapots, and his studio is named ‘Zhuni Camp.’ Because of his surname Ying, friends affectionately call him ‘Camp Leader,’ a title he greatly appreciates. He says that being a camp leader, as a grassroots cadre, constantly reminds him not to follow the crowd but to steadfastly manage his own camp. Camp Leader is honest, kind, calm in handling affairs, and values emotions and loyalty, which makes everyone willing to visit his ‘camp’ for a cup of tea and a rest. Over the decades, Camp Leader has made friends worldwide, many of whom have been helpful benefactors. The first benefactor was Ge Mingxiang. Born in 1955 into a pottery family in Yixing’s Dingshan, Ge Mingxiang was originally a skilled dentist. Driven by his deep love for Zisha, he (resolutely abandoned medicine for pottery), devoting all his time and energy to exploring and researching clay. After immense effort, he achieved comprehensive accomplishments in form, glaze, and firing techniques. He successfully formulated the exquisite Zhuni clay and sky-blue clay, establishing his own brand, ‘Xiang Tao. ‘ Xiang Tao is acclaimed as ‘the technology of earth, the art of glaze, the magic of fire,’ and Ge Mingxiang himself has earned praises like ‘extraordinary beauty’ and ‘uncrowned king of Zisha pottery art.’ In the 1980s, Ying Linfa worked with his father to prepare and process Zisha clay. In 1991, he met Ge Mingxiang, who was 11 years his senior and not yet famous at the time. They spent days together researching clay ratios and improving refining techniques, forming a mentor-friend relationship. During this period, Ying Linfa gained a deeper understanding of clay types and properties, gradually falling in love with Zhuni. With the booming market in Taiwan at the time, he also made many friends from Taiwan and Southeast Asia. The second benefactor was his mentor, Qiu Yulin. Qiu Yulin is a master of Chinese ceramic art and a pivotal figure in the ceramic industry. He specializes in modern Yixing ceramics and continuously explores areas like clay, glaze, and firing. He pioneered new decorative techniques such as colored glaze painting, spraying, scratching, filling, picking, and jade-bead glaze decoration, creating a unique style of modern painted pottery with flat, pointed, and irregular shapes. This has developed a distinctive variety for Yixing ceramics, established a popular market brand, and provided reference art for other ceramic creations.Master Qiu Yulin carved a Zisha teapot for Ying Linfa. In 2007, Ying Linfa attended the ceramic design class of the Chinese Society of Arts and Crafts, where he laid a foundation and began to show promise, eventually gaining the appreciation of Master Qiu Yulin. In 2012, he formally became Master Qiu’s disciple, embarking on a new artistic career. Under Master Qiu’s guidance, Ying Linfa’s artistic vision broadened, his creativity flourished, and he entered a peak period of design and creation. His 2014 work ‘Dragon Egg Teapot’ was collected by the Capital Museum, and his 2015 piece ‘Union Water Chestnut Teapot’ was acquired by the Jiangxi Provincial Museum.
The third influential figure was Sun Dingpu, a remarkable talent who considered himself ‘the next after Mansheng’ and excelled in calligraphy, painting, seal carving, ceramics, and literature. Sun Dingpu’s profound cultural literacy and unparalleled connections in cultural, artistic, and entertainment circles greatly benefited Ying Linfa. During this period, Ying Linfa collaborated with renowned calligraphers and painters such as Liu Jiang, Wang Dongling, and Chen Chuanxi on numerous ‘literati teapots’ and participated in CCTV programs like ‘How Much Gold Can Be Found in Sand,’ ‘Who Is Crazy for Zisha,’ and ‘Teapots Opening New Vistas. ‘ Ying Linfa also worked with Chen Chuanxi, a professor and doctoral supervisor at Renmin University of China and deputy director of the Theoretical Committee of the China Artists Association. The fourth key influence was Kou Dan, a world-class tea culture expert who greatly admired Zisha teapots, known as ‘the foremost among tea utensils.’ Under Kou Dan’s influence, Ying Linfa developed a deep love for tea culture, becoming a seasoned tea master who frequently engaged in tea cultural activities and promoted Zisha culture across China, Japan, and Korea. Ying Linfa was appointed as an overseas advisory member of the Korean International Zen Tea Culture Research Association. In terms of artistic achievements, Ying Linfa’s Zhu Ni teapots reflect his personality—simple and sincere, renowned for their classic shapes and meticulous craftsmanship. Through years of theoretical study and practical creation in teapot art, Ying has mastered the research of Zisha mineral materials and the production of Zhu Ni teapots. His active and passionate creative thinking, combined with a high talent for sculptural art, showcases the artistic, cultural, and practical value of Yixing Zhu Ni teapots while honoring traditional Zisha art. It can be said that Ying Linfa deeply embodies the essence of traditional teapot craftsmanship. For instance, the ‘Three-Legged Milk Cauldron Teapot’ features paintings by Liu Jiang, executive president of Xiling Seal Society, and seal carving by teacher Zuo Jiaqi. Ying Linfa’s Zisha teapot art gives an initial impression of freedom within rules, and unintentional yet delightful expression. The structures are refined, balancing ‘simplification’ and ‘beautification.’ Though seemingly free, casual, and effortless, the simplification is rich in meaning, with forms and structures evoking aesthetic pleasure in viewers, highlighting a unique quality of ‘simplicity’ and ‘beauty.’The Ruiying Zisha teapots crafted through the Yinglin Method vary in form and refinement. Larger pieces exude rustic vigor, while smaller ones fit snugly in the palm. Coarser works reveal distinct clay grains, whereas refined ones display textured gloss.
The Qin Quan Teapot, inscribed with poetry by Jiang Shiming and calligraphy by ceramic master Qiu Yulin, embodies Su Shi’s artistic philosophy: ‘For poetic brilliance, embrace emptiness and tranquility; tranquility perceives all movements, emptiness holds infinite realms.’ This mindset enables Yinglin to discover beauty, create artistic forms, and convey fresh emotions, resulting in Zisha works free from clichés or extravagance. Instead, they radiate an unburdened spiritual realm—ethereal, pure, serene, and expansive—reflecting the artist’s inner vision through material forms. The Heling Teapot represents another masterpiece. Key milestones include: • 2000: Established Zhuni Studio; assisted CCTV in filming ‘Chinese Tea Culture’ documentary. • 2001: Created large-scale ‘Dongpo Overhead Teapot’ for Shandong Tea Association. • 2006: Gifted Zhuni teapots to Japanese delegates via China International Tea Culture Institute. • 2008: ‘Xiaoying Teapot’ published in ‘Chinese Zisha Treasury’. • 2009: Crafted ‘Ageless Pine Teapot’ for China’s 60th anniversary; ‘Childhood Fun’ set featured in ‘Chinese Zisha’ magazine. • 2010: Supported films ‘Teapot King’ (CCTV-6) and documentary ‘Gold in Clay’ (CCTV-2). • 2012: Donated ‘Yangxian Ten Views Teapot’ at charity events; ‘West Lake Ten Seals Teapot’ won gold at Zhejiang Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition. • 2013: ‘Good Things Approaching’ earned silver at Shenzhen Craft Art Fair. • 2014: ‘Zen Connection Teapot’ collected by Luoyang Museum; ‘Qin Quan Teapot’ acquired by Hebei Museum. • 2015: ‘Dragon Egg Teapot’ preserved in Capital Museum.In 2017, the purple clay artwork “Heling Teapot” was collected by the Jiangxi Provincial Museum.
In 2021, the purple clay artwork “Century Prosperity Teapot” won the Gold Award at the “Yibo Cup” competition organized by the Jiangsu Provincial Arts and Crafts Institute. In 2024, the “Dragon Chant Teapot” was designed and produced for the Peking University Alumni Association. Also in 2024, the purple clay artwork “Bamboo Tripod Teapot” was collected by the Jiangxi Provincial Museum. The “Dragon Chant Teapot” created for the Peking University Alumni Association was donated to the Peking University Alumni Association of Malaysia. Ying Linfa produced an “Eggplant Teapot” featuring carvings by Li Tieying, former Vice Chairman of the 10th National People’s Congress Standing Committee and member of the 13th, 14th, and 15th CPC Central Committee Politburo. In February 2025, Ying Linfa was honored with the title “Inheritor of Chinese Brand Culture” by the Brand Culture Committee of the Chinese Culture Promotion Society, recognizing his outstanding contributions to the inheritance and development of Chinese cultural arts. Xu Liang, expert committee member of the Chinese Culture Promotion Society Brand Culture Committee, presented the honorary certificate to Ying Linfa. Through over three decades of dedication and mentorship from senior artists, Ying Linfa has achieved remarkable success and become a benchmark for Zhuni teapot craftsmanship. With relentless pursuit of perfection, Ying Linfa continues to refine his works, ensuring his Zhuni creations reach even higher levels of excellence.