Global EditionASIA 中文雙語Fran?ais
    Culture
    Home / Culture / Heritage

    Craftsman brings traditional sculptures to life

    Xinhua | Updated: 2021-01-26 16:38
    Share
    Share - WeChat
    Tianjin artists present their clay figurines at the 10th China Beijing International Cultural & Creative Industry Expo.

    Surrounded by sculpture-making tools like carving knives, brushes and pigments, Li Chunyu picks up an unfinished polymer clay figurine of a rabbit and coats its hair in white with a brush.

    From figurine designing and sculpting to spray-painting and coloring, Li, a 33-year-old craftsman is busy creating a series of polymer clay statues with Chinese zodiac animal themes in his workshop in North China's Tianjin municipality.

    With more than a decade of experience in creating and designing polymer clay sculptures, his works are usually inspired by traditional Chinese cultural themes.

    For Li, it was a box of plasticine that first sparked his dream.

    "At a young age, apart from watching animations and collecting animated character toys, my biggest interest was kneading plasticine," Li said.

    Every time he received lucky money during the traditional Spring Festival, he would immediately go to a stationery store to buy boxes of plasticine, as many as possible.

    "I kneaded them all into a big ball of dough, and then made figurines," he recalled.

    In 2009, Li started working after graduating with a major in mechanical engineering. A friend of his sent him a box of polymer clay, which sparked his interest and enthusiasm to rekindle his long-lost dream.

    "Figurines made by plasticine can't be kept for a long time, but polymer clay sculptures can be better preserved after heating," Li said.

    Without any professional knowledge of painting and carving sculptures, Li started by imitating famous sculptures and classic designs.

    "There are no shortcuts to being a craftsman. Only through practice can we create high-quality artwork," Li said.

    From the basics of painting to sculpture, it took him several years to become a professional. Now, he has created nearly 100 works and attended various exhibitions, earning him a good reputation. Some of his works have since become hot-selling items.

    Li always focuses on fine details and strives for excellence in every work. For instance, to make a sculpture of Dayu, a legendary figure who tamed floods in ancient China, Li adjusted the figurine's facial expressions and pose countless times to ensure the piece was just right.

    It also took him three weeks to carve the decorative patterns on the figurine's weapon, and a month to make the furry ornaments on its clothes.

    To know the Dayu story better, he printed out a stack of reference materials.

    "Through the preparation process, I became even more fascinated by our traditional culture and history," he said.

    Since then, whenever Li has ventured to different places in China, going to the local museums became a must-do for him. He took thousands of pictures of ancient relics and incorporated many elements into his works.

    "Chinese culture is extensive and profound. Many young people are interested in historical relics, but might not have a good understanding of the stories behind them," Li said. He hopes to show traditional culture in a fashionable way to help more young people understand the profound meaning behind it.

    During the COVID-19 pandemic, Li stayed home and created a new polymer clay sculpture with an anti-epidemic theme. Moreover, he grasped new skills of drawing sculpture sketches on his computer and making 3D-printed sculptures.

    "Many parts that are difficult to engrave by hand can be engraved via an electronic pen. I can also modify any mistakes on the computer at any time. That's convenient," Li said, adding that after 3D printing, he can polish his sculpture again by hand.

    In his eyes, the integration of advanced technology and traditional craftsmanship is a good thing.

    "I have met more and more figurine craftsmen and enthusiasts in various competitions and exhibitions in recent years, which shows that this field is receiving more love and recognition," Li said. "It is a great encouragement for me."

    Most Popular
    Top
    BACK TO THE TOP
    English
    Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
    License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

    Registration Number: 130349
    FOLLOW US
    在线日韩中文字幕| 无码国产精品一区二区免费式芒果 | 狠狠躁天天躁中文字幕无码 | 免费无遮挡无码永久视频| 亚洲综合日韩中文字幕v在线| 亚洲精品无码不卡| 亚洲AV无码精品色午夜果冻不卡| 最近最新免费中文字幕高清| 亚洲乱亚洲乱少妇无码| 免费无码成人AV在线播放不卡 | 色AV永久无码影院AV| 无码av免费毛片一区二区| 久久亚洲春色中文字幕久久久 | 最近免费中文字幕高清大全 | 中文国产成人精品久久亚洲精品AⅤ无码精品 | 人妻丰满?V无码久久不卡| 日韩精品无码一本二本三本| 久久无码中文字幕东京热| 合区精品中文字幕| 精品999久久久久久中文字幕| 色噜噜亚洲精品中文字幕| 亚洲区日韩区无码区| 日韩乱码人妻无码中文视频 | 中文字幕av高清片| 日韩美无码五月天| 免费A级毛片无码无遮挡| 国产成人无码久久久精品一| 日韩乱码人妻无码中文字幕 | 97免费人妻无码视频| 日韩人妻无码一区二区三区99| 国产aⅴ激情无码久久| 国产成人综合日韩精品无码不卡| 韩国三级中文字幕hd久久精品| 中文字幕免费高清视频| 亚洲国产综合精品中文第一区| 国产一区二区中文字幕| 乱人伦中文字幕在线看| 亚洲中文字幕无码一久久区| 人妻无码αv中文字幕久久| 中文字幕精品一区影音先锋| 中文成人久久久久影院免费观看|