Blue & White: A Global Product

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Unknown artist, "Enjoying the Polite Arts," n. d.

porcelain; glaze, Harold & Vera Mortimer Lamb Bequest.

Blue & White: A Global Product

Curated by Heng Wu, AGGV Curator of Asian Art and Michelle Jacques, Head of Exhibitions & Collections/Chief Curator Remai Modern

The upcoming AGGV exhibition, Blue and White, opening on January 30, examines blue and white porcelain as a global product that contains diverse cultural traits in its birth, development and thriving. It is truly a fruit of cross-cultural communication and exchange. This exhibition is our initiative in experimenting with new curatorial approaches to our permanent collections by breaking the boundaries that have been artificially placed on these collections, such as Asian vs. Canadian or Historical vs. Contemporary.

Blue and White contains over 200 items, from the AGGV collection, including many exceptional pieces from the renowned AGGV Asian collection. “Each object has multiple layers in its cultural identity.” Heng Wu, AGGV Curator of Asian Art.

Blue and White describes the porcelains featuring cobalt blue pigment decoration on a white body first manufactured in China during the 14th century. After its debut on the world stage, Blue and White ceramics ‘went viral,’ imitated and innovated around the globe. Blue and White has been a global product ever since, appreciated by people everywhere.

Blue and White exhibition features porcelain from the China, Japan the UK and European countries including Holland, with pieces dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries. A contemporary section of the exhibition includes blue-and-white works of different medium and artistic forms made in the 20th and 21st century selected from the AGGV’s collection.