Ye applied to pursue a master's degree in ceramic design at Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute in the neighboring Jiangxi province in 2016.

"I needed to know more about celadon to further my goal," Ye says.

Upon his arrival, he was immediately drawn to the open and inclusive ceramic art ambience permeating through Jingdezhen, widely considered as China's porcelain capital.

"A great many artists engage in their artistic creations there, and you can find various processes and approaches for ceramic making," he says.

Knowing his ultimate purpose, Ye's professor encouraged him to focus on celadon design and integrate it with modern techniques.

Whenever he met with a problem at school, he would call his father, and they would work out the kinks in the way.