'Neo-guan' is an extension of the perfection of classical ‘guan’ [official] ware and I aim to distil the beauty of guan ceramics for people today. Making 'Neo-Guan' involves gathering together all manner of elements [of imperial ware], and returning to the many complex processes of traditional ceramic crafts: rigorous selection of materials, skilled craftsmanship and a firing temperature of 1350 degrees centigrade. With each cup, each bowl, each pattern and each paint stroke, the aim is to bring forth a restrained elegance and an uncompromising accuracy in the decoration, retaining the original delicate quality of imperial porcelain. Developing a Chinese post-classical aesthetic out of the canon of imperial ware and exquisitely crafting each object to this standard, that is what 'Neo-guan' is about.' Li Jianshen, 2014