But he persisted, allured by the rich layers of watercolor expression on clay. He then decided to learn pottery at the Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute in the "hometown of Chinese ceramics" in Jiangxi province in 2020.
He learned how to select clay, mold and paint, as well as find the right temperature for firing pottery. After grasping all the necessary techniques, Tan got down to making things. He first settled on the optimal temperature for local clay in his hometown and the right color through trial and error after he returned later that year.
"The local clay contains levels of impurities different from Jingdezhen, such as iron, which would warp and show lumps under the wrong firing temperature," he says.
Then, he applied elements of his hometown on pottery works through the watercolor style.
"It was perfect for me to show nostalgia with the smudging and various shades rendered by pigment and water," Tan says.
To his surprise, the residents of his village began to approach him after seeing his works on display.
"Most of them lived in the city and came for holidays," Tan says. "They were drawn to the scenes of our hometown and interested in taking them back."
Then, by word of mouth, more people came to buy, and the popularity of his works made its way to the internet. More people got to know about Tan's works from short-video platform Douyin and online shopping platform Taobao.
To date, Tan has sold more than 1,000 pottery works, a majority of which feature aspects of Jingzhou. As his business grew, Tan started to hire local villagers for help. He also offered training.
Yang Shenglan is among three locals who have been working for Tan. The 30-year-old was a stay-at-home mother.
"I love painting, and Tan said he would teach me, so I came," Yang says.
So far, Yang has been able to paint simple patterns on pottery works. The job offers her a monthly salary of 5,000 yuan ($751).
At the moment, Tan's workshop can produce about 60 pieces of pottery, mostly decorative items, such as vases and tableware, every month. Tan has also started to take customized orders, with people from other parts of the province visiting him with photos of designs they'd like to be on pottery works.
Tan says positive feedback from his customers help him to carry on with what he does. There's a sense of fulfillment, he says, adding that he will keep providing "a piece of hometown" for people to remember.
