Fragile Prosperity

A Porcelain Reflection on Power and Desire

In a nation where material wealth and state control exist in an uneasy symbiosis, what remains truly untouchable? Fragile Prosperity reimagines the artifacts of modern China—both the opulent and the oppressive—through the delicate, enduring medium of Qinghua porcelain.

Here, luxury handbags sit alongside biometric surveillance cameras, each rendered in blue-and-white ceramic, frozen in time like relics from a future archaeological dig. The titles of these pieces—drawn from official Chinese Communist Party propaganda, from the fervor of the Cultural Revolution to the pragmatism of market reform—offer a jarring juxtaposition. “To Get Rich Is Glorious” adorns an Vuitton-inspired porcelain handbag, its glossy surface betraying the weight of expectation. Nearby, a closed-circuit camera proclaims, “Seek Truth from Facts!” its delicate craftsmanship belying the force it represents.

These objects reflect the trade-offs of an era defined by soaring ambition and meticulous governance: a world where prosperity and obedience are two sides of the same finely glazed coin. At first glance, the collection appears to celebrate China’s rising affluence, mirroring the aspirations of a billion people. But look closer. The cracks in the porcelain, the weight of the unmoving clay—each detail suggests an unspoken tension. How sturdy is a system that relies on such a delicate balance? What happens when an empire of growth meets the limits of its own design?

This exhibit invites you to step inside this paradox: a world where everything is attainable, yet nothing is truly free.