Vancouver Dec. 2014

know what he or she looks
like. This uncontrollable characteristic
is what makes the
creation of porcelain so fascinating
for me.”
His hands began to sculpt
clay in senior high school,
taught by the legendary ceramic
artist, Chao Sun. Exploring
his career options,
Chen majored in German
literature at the Taiwan Fu
Jen University. His professor
nicknamed him “Franz,”
which he’s fondly adopted
today. Meaning “carefree
and full of creativity,” it
seems fitting for someone
so imaginative.
Despite his talent, Chen
did not initially choose ceramics as his profession,
but became business partners with his three brothers.
Like many other original equipment manufacturers
(OEM) in Taiwan, Chen’s family made their fortune
manufacturing giftware for a plethora of producers
around the world. Franz went out on his own in
the 1980s, expanding his company’s abilities by also
working as an original design manufacturer (ODM)
making plush toys, and built a solid reputation working
with the biggest names in the gift industry.
Then one day, Chen realized there was more to life
than just accumulating wealth. Like many professionals,
he was on a path that didn’t connect him
with his passion. He had financial stability, yet his
thoughts turned to doing something he truly enjoyed,
something that would ultimately lead to a
more happy, fulfilling life. Around this time, the Taiwan
Trade Center was encouraging local companies
to establish their own international brands. With
new-found enthusiasm, Chen changed his business
model and moved into designing
porcelain.
In 2002, Franz Collection
Inc. was born, with the vision
to guide others into integrating
art into everyday life with
porcelain. One year after
the brand was established
and headquartered in San
Francisco, its butterfly figurines
won “Best in Show” at
the New York International
Gift Fair. Chen began to
expand overseas. Currently,
Franz Collection’s design
and research center is based
in Taipei, Taiwan. Production
is closely supervised in
mainland China. The brand
is sold in over 6,000 pointof-sale
locations in 56 countries around the world.
His whimsical yet highly functional porcelain pieces
have garnered attention from celebrities like Barbara
Streisand and Elton John and have been gifted
from China’s president to other world leaders.
People who see Chen’s porcelain for the first time
are often captivated by its intense colours and intricate
shapes. They say it is different from the mild colours
and simplistic designs of ancient Chinese porcelain.
Almost every piece is connected to nature — from
hibiscus flowers and orchids to birds and pandas.
“What I sell is not just porcelain, but the core of
traditional Chinese culture,” says the 63-year-old
china maker.
The ladybug collection is a classic example of the
brand’s marriage of Eastern aesthetics and Western
Art Nouveau. Two dazzling crimson ladybugs crawl
amid blue-and-white wildflowers in a celebration of
the fresh late spring outdoors. Their marvelous textures
are rendered in the finest flawless porcelain and hand
「 甜 蜜 護 守 」 之 太 陽 鳥 花 瓶
Chen’s daily life and observation of Nature inspires Mother.