Nie Chenxi

The art of Gaomi Niejiazhuang Clay Figurines reached its zenith during the reign of Emperor Jiaqing (1796-1820), in the Qing Dynasty. Then, gradually, the figurines adopted a dynamic rather than static mode, depicting motion and sound, often comically. The clay figurines produced in Niejiazhuang Village are generally painted in bold colours with exaggerated, coarse features, striving for spiritual resonance rather than strict resemblance. The shapes have a charming simplicity and innocence, and many examples are both static and dynamic, qualities that set them apart among China’s clay figurine traditions, earning the art a place in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage.

A representative heir of the Niejiazhuang clay figurine art, Nie Chenxi excels at shaping all types of animals and human figures. His primary style is known as the ‘roaring tiger clay figurine’, which is not only a traditional child’s plaything but also an auspicious mascot that protects the home with its imposing shape and bright colours.

Kong Nannan

Confucian Kai Wood Carving
15 / 11 ~ 04 / 12
2011

The Kai Wood Carving tradition of Qufu City dates back over 2,400 years. Qufu’s Confucian Forest, famous for its rare kai trees, supplied the raw material when the Confucian disciple Zi Gong sought to memorialise his master in wooden statues. This act became a tradition, passed down through the hands of a great host of artisans, gradually becoming an art form with its own distinctive carving style. Traditional shapes include images of Confucius, walking sticks and the ceremonial curved sceptre known as ‘ruyi’. Kong Nannan is a 74^th generation descendant of Confucius in Qufu City, Shandong, and the sixth direct-line inheritor of the Qufu Confucian Kai Wood Carving tradition inscribed on China’s list of National Intangible Cultural Heritage. His works are refined and delicately carved with an elaborate and balanced composition. Kong seeks fine, vivid, beautiful and elegant artistic qualities to capture the immensely rich folk characteristics of his subjects.

Sun Xiulan

Weifang Cloth Toys
06 ~ 25 / 12
2011

Weifang Cloth Toys come in a wide variety of forms, all fashioned with refined skill. Made of materials such as coloured silk, satin, flannel, fur, coloured strings, threads of gold and silver and beads, their production requires complex and intricate sewing techniques. The majority of toys are themed on animals and employ highly exaggerated shapes to depict rich folk culture and distinctive regional characteristics.

Sun Xiulan is a first-rank folk art master in Weifang and a successor of Weifang’s Intangible Cultural Heritage. Beginning at an early age, Sun excelled in designing and producing cloth toys possessing novel design, concise shapes, moderate exaggeration and sharp colours. Her cloth toys are widely favoured both at home and abroad.

Lu Ning

Zibo Interior Surface Painting
06 ~ 25 / 12
2011

Zibo Interior Surface Painting enjoys a high reputation throughout the country. Using special brushes, artisans paint a detailed reversed image on the inside of bottles, through an opening as small as a bean. Such polished and peculiar skills rely heavily on the eyesight, patience and brushwork of the painters, who bring this art to the zenith of perfection.

Beginning at the age of thirteen, Lu Ning studied traditional Chinese arts and crafts and the skill of interior surface painting under master Zhang Guangqing. For twenty years she dedicated herself to the study of this art, inventing novel compositions for her delicate, elegant paintings. Her works reveal a smooth use of the brush, standing apart from other interior surface paintings. She has won several important national awards, and her works are displayed in museums both at home and abroad.

Zhang Jian

Linqu Red Silk Inkstones
27/ 12 ~ 15 / 01
2011        2012

Red Silk Inkstones, named for Linqu County (or sometimes Qingzhou City), were considered the finest of the four famous inkstones of the Tang and Song Dynasties (618-1279), owing to their fine, gentle texture, vivid, bright coloration and diversity of pattern. The authors Wang Anshi, Ouyang Xiu and Su Dongpo all wrote with red silk inkstones and praised them highly.

An artisan of Shandong’s arts and crafts, Zhang Jian began to collect and study unusual stones, becoming interested in inkstones, in the mid-80s. Currently, he is engaged in the post-production of red silk inkstones, as well as that of various kinds of Lu inkstones. His works have won several accreditations and are both eminently practical and highly collectible.

Wang Xianli

Dezhou Black Pottery
27/ 12 ~ 15 / 01
2011        2012

Dezhou has a long tradition of producing pottery, the black variety of which enjoys high prestige. Black pottery is an unglazed ceramic originating in the 6,000-year-old Longshan culture. Today, Dezhou’s Black Pottery retains these rich and ancient folk characteristics in its craftsmanship, design and colour. The craft has also contributed significantly to the overall revival of traditional ceramics.

As Vice Chairman of the Chinese Black Pottery Arts Committee, Wang Xianli has conducted research on black pottery for more than twenty years. Founded by Wang Xianli, the Dezhou Xianli Black Pottery Research Centre is accomplished in several areas of research and has received national patents. The Centre’s research papers and art works have won several prizes, including a Silver Medal at the International Technological Expo in Paris and a Gold Medal in the First Chinese Black Pottery Exhibition.

Wang Tianming

Micro Carving
17 / 01 ~ 05 / 02
2011

Micro-carving is a challenging and extremely demanding art. It continues to play a crucial role in flourishing traditional Chinese art circles, reflecting the charm, skill and virtuosity inherent in the nation’s culture.

Engaged in the carving arts for some thirty years, Wang Tianming is able to carve words just 0.02 mm2 in size. His microcarving works, such as his bean carvings, are renowned for their supreme delicacy. Wang is also concerned with his own artistic cultivation and places particular emphasis on deepening his literary roots. He has exhibited works and given live demonstrations in countries worldwide including Germany, France, Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Singapore and Korea and has won several awards both nationally and internationally, among them a Special Award, Gold Medal and Silver Medal in the International Arts and Crafts Competition and the National Arts and Crafts Competition.

Li Zezhi

Laixi Gourd Carving
17 / 01 ~ 05 / 02
2011

Originating in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), Laixi Gourd Carving reached its height in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and underwent further development in the mid-20th century. It is an art that has been handed down generation to generation for more than 400 years. What makes Laixi Gourd Carving special and influential is the lace-like technique known as the ‘openwork pattern’. With its well-defined characteristics and distinctive style, this art was inscribed in the first batch of the Municipal-level Intangible Cultural Heritage of Qingdao.

The recipient of various awards, Li Zezhi is primarily engaged in the artistic production of folk gourds and clay figurines. He excels at producing Laixi Gourd Carvings with various themes, including traditional auspicious connotations, historical stories, myths and legends.