During the period from the 1950s to the 1960s, when contemporary ceramic art began developing in Taiwan, the term “taoyun (ceramic art)” basically referred to a type of ceramic ware characterized by advanced technologies and elegant decorations
and modeled after traditional or classical works of Mainland China and Japan. The production technologies of such works were derived from either the ceramic technology of Mainland China brought into Taiwan by Han people who
had immigrated from Fujian or the Japanese technology transplanted to Taiwan during the Japanese colonial period.
Among the workers who engaged in ceramic production, including traditional handicraft production, to make a living, some began developing a path that led to ceramic art, the path to transforming ceramic production into a means of expressing their personal creativity. Some others were inspired by the concept of“ceramic art” developed outside Taiwan, such as western nations and Japan.These artists subsequently became known as the first generation of contemporary Taiwanese ceramic artists.
Wu Rhang-Nung ( 吳讓農, 1924–2009), for example, visited Japan for technological training of ceramics. Having witnessed ceramic art education and creative activities of individual artists there, he began to produce more creative works. Chiu Huan-Tang ( 邱煥堂, 1932–), a teacher of English who went to Hawaii to study English teaching methods, encountered ceramic art in Hawaii and decided to become a ceramic artist. After he returned to Taiwan, while serving at a ceramic workshop, he continued to engage in creative activities through self-study. He also shared outcomes of his learning with other artists at his own studio and by contributing articles to magazines.
During the post-war reconstruction period, there were only a few opportunities in Taiwan to obtain raw materials and production technologies of ceramics, to receive professional education at public institutes, to display ceramic works, and to access the market. Meanwhile, individual artists whose creativity had been inspired through various means, including their first-hand experiences outside Taiwan, spread their knowledge at their own workshops and through their private networks. In this way, they built the foundation for the contemporary style of Taiwanese ceramic art.