Liu Li: the flowering of an Oriental art.

Liu Li has a lineage stretching back thousands of years, first making its appearance in the 11th century B.C. linked to the even older art of jade working, the techniques are believed to have originated in bronze smelting. Through the millennia, the art of Liu Li developed, leaving an indelible trail throughout Chinese history until the eighteenth century. The invasion by foreign forces of a China weakened by the opium trade forced open the door to imported goods, effectively stifling Liu Li. It was not until 1987, when a group of far-sighted, creative and determined people came together in Taiwan that this ancient art started to be revived.

Following a period of overseas study of the French art of pate-de-verre they decided to bring these techniques to China to develop a new method of creative endeavor. They were both astonished and inspired to discover the reality of it being a lost art of China dating back to the Han Dynasty.

These committed visionaries came together and invested their souls, their energy and their savings in a quest to revive the Chinese art of pate-de-verre and cire-perdue, steeped in the history of China these glass making techniques were rigorously researched, carefully honed, and have been meticulously applied by a new generation of artists.

Lead by Loretta Hui-Shan Yang and Chang Yi, Liu Li Gong Fang has rekindled the flames of Chinese art glass, blazing a trait to a modern, international audience.

Driven by deep conviction and inspired by their rich cultural heritage, Loretta Hui-Shan Yang and Chang Yi have single mindedly pursued the development of a glass art laden with meaning.

For Liu Li Gong Fang the merely decorative will not suffice. Each piece is meticulously crafted, each step subjected to rigorous inspection, each blemish ruthlessly excised.

The Road to Rediscovery.

The search for the highest quality has led them down many roads. International study, and exchanges of experience have been warmly embraced, resulting in rapid recognition of the true value of Liu Li Gong Fang .

In 1995 Jaroslava Brychiova, a Czech master in the art of glass, was moved to say of Loretta's work:"I have been working in glass art with Libensky for forty years, and have experienced the inner paths of creativity. Though you have only been creating for only seven or eight years, I can see that you have already reached the nucleus."

Since Liu Li Gong Fang's inception in 1987 two major workshops have been set up. The first is in Taiwan at Tamshui, and the second, purpose built, is in Shanghai in addition there are now five international galleries fourteen local galleries, and sixteen showrooms thought Taiwan. Mainland China, Hong Kong and Singapore. Liu Li Gong Fang pieces functional products, sculpture(limited editions and individual pieces) collectables, wearables and architectural glass.