Reconfiguring Tradition:

Chen San-huo’s Art of Jiannian

Cathy Teng　/　photos Lin Min-hsuan　/　tr. by Brandon Yen

May 2026

中文

Chen San-huo gives new expression to the traditional craft of jiannian as he explores ways to assemble ceramic fragments.

Chen San-huo is a master of jiannian (“cut-and-paste” ceramics), a traditional art that involves clipping shards of colored ceramics and sticking them onto a base structure. For over six decades, he has been creating jiannian sculptures on the roof ridges of temples, often having to brave inclement weather.

Celebrated as a national treasure, Chen nevertheless prefers the modest sobriquet Master Huo. In both Taiwanese and Mandarin, the word for “master craftsman” is pronounced the same as the word for “lion.” Chen says that just as stone lions guard the entrances to local temples, he wants to ensure the survival of Taiwanese art.

Coming into his own

Born in Madou, Tainan, Chen San-huo started his career at age 17 under jiannian master Li Shiyi. After World War II, the construction and restoration of a large number of temples across Taiwan created a surge in demand for jiannian artworks. Chen’s deft hand won him recognition, and many temples sought his expertise.

However, with the rise of molded decorations such as Cochin ware, which can be mass-produced by slip casting, traditional jiannian went into decline. In his 50s, Chen had to consider abandoning the old craft.

One day, when he was 54, he found himself picking up a ceramic vase. Acting on a whim, he struck it with a pair of pliers and then assembled the shards into the shape of Bodhidharma, the legendary monk credited with bringing Chan Buddhism to China.

Traditional jiannian artists would first come up with clear images of their works and then use pincers and diamond scribers to turn ceramic shards into desired shapes before attaching them, one by one, to cement-covered wire armatures or base forms. Chen departed from this time-honored practice, starting by shattering ceramics and letting the random shards determine the shape of a work. In so doing, he surrendered his creativity to serendipity. “From that single act of striking a vase were born my creative platform, a very different career, and my calling.”

Chen San-huo’s workshop is piled with used ceramics from friends and relatives.

Rather than trimming ceramic shards into preconceived shapes, Chen San-huo allows random fragments to determine the shapes of his works, thus surrendering his creativity to serendipity.

Serendipity

We visit Fu’an Temple at Zhengziliao in Tainan’s North District to see one of the “serendipitous” works Chen created when he was 60.

Entering the inner hall, we find the left wall, depicting the Daoist deity Xuantian Shangdi subduing the demonic turtle and snake. The god’s garment is composed of fragments of black liquor jars. The curved shards serve to bring out the ethereal motions of the costume: originally cold and hard, they now convey a sense of supple fluidity in their new assemblage. On the right side of the hall is an image of Prince Nezha wreaking havoc in the East Sea. The shell of the clam spirit here is made of a broken white plate of a kind commonly used at local eateries, while business names from promotional tableware are visible on the figures’ clothes and headdresses, bringing smiles to our faces.

At the entrance to Chen’s studio, there are piles of used ceramic ware and liquor jars from his friends and relatives. They’re waiting to be transformed into artworks. In Chen’s hands, even unsightly oyster shells can be turned into art.

Chen San-huo’s Dragon Dance vividly captures the festive energy of this traditional street performance.

Chen captures the dynamic moment when a basketball player has stolen the ball and is about to perform a slam dunk. The lively theatricality of the work marks him out as a disciple of the old jiannian master Hong Kunfu.

Chen San-huo used oyster shells to create this snake, one of the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac.

Inspirations

Chen’s creative process is rooted in observing and transforming elements from his daily life. For example, he has personified the 24 solar terms of the traditional Chinese calendar, portraying Major Heat (Dashu) and Minor Heat (Xiaoshu) as celestial envoys, one carrying a brazier and the other holding a flame—images full of drama and imagination.

When the Taiwanese-American basketball player Jeremy Lin was causing a sensation in Taiwan, Chen created a work capturing the moment when a player has stolen the ball and is about to perform a slam dunk. The almost exaggerated dramatic vitality marks Chen out as a disciple of the old jiannian master Hong Kunfu’s style.

During a visit to Europe, Chen was deeply moved by Michelangelo’s Pietà. When he came back to Taiwan, he set about creating his own pietà, using shards of ceramic liquor containers.

After visiting Europe, where he saw Michelangelo’s Pietà, Chen San-huo created his own pietà with a Taiwanese flavor.

The shell of this clam spirit is made from a white plate of a type common at local eateries.

Chen San-huo has created many jiannian versions of Lord Guan Yu.

Legacy

When his mentor Li Shiyi passed away, Chen began to wonder about his own legacy to the world. Fengtian Temple in Xingang, Chiayi County, a county-level monument, is graced by his work. He was named a National Living Treasure by the Ministry of Culture in 2020 and received the National Crafts Achievement Award the following year. His Mazu Parade is in the collection of the National Taiwan Craft Research and Development Institute.

Art historian Hsiao Chong-ray says that Chen San-huo has breathed new life into jiannian, without forfeiting the original essence of the tradition. “From technical prowess to artistry, and from artistry to the Dao,” Chen continues to reconfigure tradition by reassembling fragments and giving them new life.

The guardian deities Weituo and Qielan flank the front of Fu’an Temple at Zhengziliao in Tainan’s North District. Their gorgeous garments exhibit the patterns of old vases, and the hems show the jagged edges of broken ceramics.