The Spirit of Tea

THE SPIRIT OF TEA: An Offering to Tea Lovers (Chinese Title: 茶魂 – 寄与爱茶人) is a book and international exhibition by San Francisco based photographer and tea lover Matthew London.

To see photographs from THE SPIRIT OF TEA click here.

To join my mailing list and be notified about the progress of THE SPIRIT OF TEA click here. The book will be published in late 2013 and the global exhibition will follow.

THE SPIRIT OF TEA is simple, something anyone in the world can understand. To drink tea is to be present in the eternal moment. But as with most simple things, the spirit of tea is profound.

THE SPIRIT OF TEA is a fresh look at Chinese tea culture through the original photographs and philosophy of Matthew London, essays by leading tea scholars and tea lovers, and classical Chinese paintings, calligraphy and poetry which convey the essence of ancient Chinese tea wisdom.

Matthew, a member of the China International Tea Culture Institute and The Royal Photographic Society has traveled across China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau since 2008, journeying deep into the heart of this ancient yet vibrant culture. The book and exhibition take the viewer on a journey from ancient tea mountains to the heart of the modern city and into to the heart of tea lovers, to convey the tranquil and profound nature of Chinese tea culture.

Throughout the world, people drink tea on a daily basis, but may not be aware of the beautiful and profound culture that is the essence of tea. Awareness is rapidly growing of the benefits of tea, not just for health, but as an antidote to the hectic pace of modern life. And within China, rapid modernization and urbanization of the population has created a nation of tea drinkers, many of whom have lost touch with their own ancient culture. THE SPIRIT OF TEA puts a human face on Chinese tea culture and helps to convey its universal humanity.

The bilingual book will be published by TIGER SPRING PRESS and will be available worldwide. The fine art photography book will be approximately  300 pages and printed by Artron, the highest quality art book printer in China. A special limited edition collectors edition of the book will be available.

The exhibition will be shown in major cities around the world wherever people enjoy tea. Tea drinking cuts thru all social and economic classes, and the exhibition will be designed to appeal to people from all walks of life.

In Mainland China, potential exhibition locations include the National Art Museum of China and 798 Art Space in Beijing, the Shanghai Art Museum, and the Zhejiang Provincial Museum or the West Lake Museum in Hangzhou. A travelling exhibition is planned for provincial capitals, including Guangzhou, Fuzhou, Chengdu and Kunming.

The exhibition will be shown in North American cites including New York, San Francisco, and Seattle; European cities including Paris, Berlin and London, and Asian cities including Hong Kong, Macao, Taipei, Tokyo, Seoul, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

THE SPIRIT OF TEA: An Offering To Tea Lovers is a major milestone in the dissemination of Chinese Tea Culture in the 21st Century and the preservation of this great non-material cultural heritage of China.

For more information please contact Matthew London at spiritoftea@matthewlondon.com or visit www.matthewlondon.com