Cao Liyao, an assistant craftsman at the third level, is a member of the Zisha Special Committee of the Ceramic Decoration Society, a member of the Yixing Youth Art Development Promotion Association, and a member of the Shanghai Arts and Crafts Industry Association. He was born in Xiwang Village and studied traditional Zisha teapot making with his mother Fan Xifang (a rural revitalization art artist) after graduating from Zisha Shijia University. In 2016, he founded the "Tuan Sha Fang" Zisha Studio and went on to study with Gu Jingzhou's second-generation descendant Bao Qing. In 2021, he joined Fan Zefeng's family and entered the room for further education.
His creation draws inspiration from the past and embodies novelty, based on solid craftsmanship. His style shuttles and blends between different cultures, constantly trying "interesting" designs to showcase the unique plasticity of purple sand itself, which is highly traditional and thought-provoking.
