Western jade artists win gold in China

Three jade carvers from the West won gold medals in this year’s international jade exhibition in Suzhou, China. It was a pleasure to meet a very grounded bunch of artists. They all had a deep knowledge of stone and were very switched on. The introduction of AI, translation and ride hailing apps, along with accessible GPS made it far easier for them to get around than previous groups who’ve entered this competition. New friends were made. Old acquaintances renewed. A great time was had by all. These are two of my favourite pieces from this year’s exhibition. One by a Chinese artist, who did little more than shape the stone. The other by Shane Zach from Wisconsin, which is more of a sculpture for which he won gold.