Gourd carving can be divided into knife carving and gourd pyrography: the former refers to the carving of characters or images on a gourd with a knife, while the latter, originating from
the Qing Dynasty, employed heated needles and incense to change the colour on the surface of the gourd in the past but now uses a temperature-adjustable electric soldering iron to produce
quality finished products.

Lan Shengli, a native of Fuyang City, is deeply interested in calligraphy and painting, and is highly skilled in gourd carving. His works have been extensively featured in the media in Mainland China, while his representative works “Hollow Gourd” and “Portrait of Five Grains” have won local folk craft competitions.

BAMBOO CARVING
31 / 03 ~ 12 / 04
2009

Bamboo carving refers to the carving of a wide range of decorative patterns and characters on bamboo items, or the carving on bamboo roots for various decorative purposes. By means of bamboo carving, craftsmen seek to convey the innate character and cultural significance of bamboo, thereby maintaining one of the country’s precious folk handicraft traditions.

Fang Liping has been perfecting the art of bamboo carving of ancient beauties for more than 20 years, during which time she has mastered the artistic use of the knife. The ancient beauties depicted in her works are distinguished by their vivid, life-like poses, and her representative work “Panorama – Grand View Garden in a Dream of the Red Mansion” was awarded the Innovation Prize of National Bamboo Craft.

FOLK HAND EMBROIDERY
31 / 03 ~ 12 / 04
2009

Hand embroidery is a folk needlework handicraft from ancient times; in Wangjiang County, the art features auspicious and festive images, highlighting the variable stitches, bright yet unadorned colours, as well as profuse and balanced composition, reflecting people’s hopes and yearning for well-being.

Wang Shifu is heir to the Wangjiang hand embroidery tradition, listed as national intangible cultural heritage. Not only is he dedicated to the investigation, gathering, and collecting of hand-embroidered works, but his own pieces were hung in the Anhui Auditorium in the Great Hall of the People for decorative purposes in 2000.

WOOD CARVING
14~ 26 / 04
2009

Wood carving comprises different skills such as sculpture, relief work, and hollow carving. Normally, the delicate yet tenacious non-deforming materials - camphor wood, gingko, etc - are selected for the carving of life-like figures, celestial beings, birds and animals.

Ding Feng, a member of the Committee of Carving Arts of China and director of the Anhui Folk Literature and Arts Society, has inherited the essence of Anhui wood carving. His works have garnered numerous awards and are favoured by the literati and scholars from both home and abroad.

PYROGRAPHY
14~ 26 / 04
2009

Using iron as a pen and fire as ink, pyrography paints on bamboo, wood, silk cloth and xuan paper, employing the gradation of ink shades to achieve the quintessence of oil painting in a delicate and realistic manner.

Zheng Xiaoliang, with more than twenty years’ experience in the creation of pyrography, was awarded the ‘Folk Crafts Artist’ by UNESCO and the Chinese Folk Literature and Arts Society in 1995. His elegant and delicate mini woodblock piece entitled “Portrait of 87 Immortals”, his small gourd work “500 Buddhist Saints”, as well as his “Portrait of Shou Mountain” on xuan paper, render him a true pioneer in mini pyrography.

FEATHER FANS
28 / 04 ~ 10 / 05
2009

The manufacturing of feather fans is a traditional handicraft from Sanhe, an old town surrounded by water in Anhui Province. The Buddha hand-shaped eagle fur fan - made of finely picked fur grown on the bird’s wing after artistic processing - presents the natural colour on the fan surface with smooth lines and is considered the pinnacle of feather fan art.

Ding Zhengquan is the third generation of Sanhe feather fan masters. Sparing no effort in raising his artistry to new levels, he has increased the quality of feather fan art, and his works have won awards on numerous occasions at handicraft exhibitions in Mainland China.

CLAY SCULPTURE
28 / 04 ~ 10 / 05
2009

Clay sculpture is an ancient three dimensional art. Kneaded by hand to create different vivid shapes, clay sculpture can be coloured or uncoloured. In 2006, clay sculpture was inscribed on the 1^st National Intangible Cultural Heritage List by the Chinese State Council.

Zhu Lei has sculpted clay for more than 20 years. Incorporating the techniques of Master Zhang, a famous clay sculptor, his works represent the unique style of Fuyang coloured clay sculpture, and have been displayed in Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, and Hefei.

BRONZE CARVING
02 ~ 11 / 06
2009

Bronze carving is the carving of characters or images on bronze ware with a knife. Due to the degree of difficulty, engraved bronze products are rare, although they have always found favour with the literati and scholars, in the form of bronze kettles, pots, stationery, smoking sets, etc.

Born into a scholarly family in Anhui Province, Du Ping studied under his father Du Mingnian, a famous woodcut painter, from whom he acquired his consummate skill in the art. In November 2008, he displayed his bronze carvings at the Lou Kau Mansion, attracting much favourable feedback and appreciation from artists and collectors in Macao.

FENGYANG FLOWER DRUMS
02 ~ 11 / 06
2009

The Fengyang flower drum, included in the 1^st National Intangible Cultural Heritage List, is the smallest performance drum in the country. It is characterised by Fengyang phoenix paintingm on its surface, which not only highlights the exquisiteness of the flower drum but presents the charm of phoenix painting. Hence, it has become a very famous handicraft.

Li Yunsong is expert in Fengyang phoenix painting, which is a tradition in his hometown. In addition to painting, he is also dedicated to the research and improvement of the Fengyang flower drum art, and his works are well known for their delicacy and beauty.

BRICK AND PORCELAIN CARVING
30 / 06~ 12 / 07
2009

Carved cyan bricks, featuring traditional figures, landscapes and flowers, are among the most important elements in ancient Chinese architecture. Porcelain carving, in turn, adopts and combines Chinese calligraphy and Western-style realistic painting to produce either coloured or uncoloured carvings.

In addition to his dedication to the creation of literati calligraphy and painting, Zhou Jian has applied his unique carving skills to pioneer the creation of Han Dynasty painting on bricks dating back to the Han Dynasty some 1,800 years ago. Zhou has also conducted research on the art of porcelain carving and pyrography, while his works are highly appreciated and collected.

PAPER CUTTING
30 / 06~ 12 / 07
2009

The paper cutting of Fuyang has a very long history. On the basis of traditional Fuyang paper cutting, Cheng has drawn inspiration from it and introduced several innovative features. He often adopts high quality red and xuan paper, making use of other paper, yarn, and satin.

Cheng’s paper cutting – handed down by Cheng Jianli, a paper cutting master – has exalted the art inherited from his father. Some of his most representative works include “The Mouse Wedding”, “The Eight Immortals Cross the Sea” and “A Eulogy of Olympic Gold Medals”.