This school of woodcarving, named after Dongyang, can trace its history back 1,000 years, and numerous treasures of this art have been accumulated there. Its themes revolve around historical, mythical and legendary figures, and bas-relief is its primary technique. Works are characterised by ancient and elegant simplicity. In keeping with the times, it has shifted its emphasis from building decor to modern architecture and furniture, for which it is widely renowned, as well as works of art.

Chen Yizhong has been in the trade for more than 10 years, and has received several national and provincial awards for his creations. He works as chief designer in the woodcarving studio he established in 2006.

DONGYANG BAMBOO WEAVING
28/08 ~ 09/09

Dongyang bamboo weaving may indeed be seen as an artistic sister of Dongyang woodcarving. In the Song Dynasty, it was famed for its lanterns, produced for the Lantern Festival. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, it was a renowned source of gifts for the imperial family. It is at its best in cubic weaving and in unique and lifelike shapes, characterised by clean, light colouring.

He Fuli is famed as a ‘master of Chinese bamboo craft’, and many of his works have won national awards. The ‘Dragon of Craft’, made especially for the Hong Kong Handover in 1997, measures 2,500 metres in length – a world record for an object of its kind.

FANHUANG BAMBOO GARVING
11/09 ~ 23/09

Fanhuang bamboo carving, a traditional native craft of Huangyan in Zhejiang, is called Fanhuang in Chinese because the carving is done on the inner lining of a bamboo stem. The art originated in the 9^th year of the Tongzhi Era of the Qing Dynasty, and has evolved over a hundred years or so. Employing primarily the technique of relief engraving, these carvings appear lustrous as if made of ivory. This craft – together with Qingtian stone carving and Dongyang-Huangyang woodcarving – is one of the ‘Three Carvings of Zhejiang’.

Now 19 years of age, Lu Zhixian is an accomplished carver and expert in fashioning Fanhuang bamboo. He is employed as the head of the Fanhuang Bamboo Carving Studio in Huangyan and is regarded as one of the most foremost proponents of the art.

GLASS ENGRAVING
11/09 ~ 23/09

Glass engraving is a unique art in which sanding wheels are used like a pen or brush to paint on glass. Landscapes, flora and fauna and human figures are etched into glass in such a way that they look as if they lived in it.

Son of a famed glass engraving artist, Wu Gang has acquired his father’s artistry and is now Director of the Glass Carving Gallery in Taizhou, named after his father Wu Zixiong. The crystal carving ‘Dancing Lions in a Lotus Setting’ was one of the important gifts bestowed on Macao to celebrate the territory’s handover.

XIASHI LANTERNS
01/10 ~ 14/10

Originating from Xiashi Town in Haining City, Zhejiang Province, Xiashi lanterns are an art genre that dates back more than 1,200 years. The lanterns were used as gifts for the Imperial Court in the Southern Song Dynasty and are famed for their stitched patterns. Xuan paper, bamboo strips and iron wire are all used in the creation of these beautiful adornments. Paintings on the lanterns are illuminated from the inside, and with the use of modern audio, lighting and electrical devices, many imaginative and uniquely-shaped lanterns are currently produced.

Hu Jinlong now serves as Deputy President of the Xiashi Lantern Society and is CEO of Xiashi Lantern Co. Ltd. in Haining. His professional experience encompasses more than 20 years of work, and he is the recipient of numerous honorary awards.

EMBROIDERED FRAMELESS LANTERNS
01/10 ~ 14/10

Originating in the Tang Dynasty, embroidered frameless lanterns made in Xianju County in Zhejiang Province are also known as Tang lanterns or Sheng lanterns. The frameless lanterns are made from pieces of paper embroidered with various patterns. Their construction requires painting and embroidery expertise as well as other skills. The art is constantly evolving and is considered the pinnacle of traditional women’s craft.

Li Xiangman is the Director of the Research Institute for Embroidered Frameless Lanterns in Xianju County and has been nominated one of the ‘10 Best Artisans in China’. His ‘Lantern of Phoenix and Dragon’ was represented on a special postage stamp by the State Postal Bureau in 2005 and was included on the First Selection of National Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2006.

HANGZHOU EMBROIDERY
16/10 ~ 28/10

Hangzhou has long been known as the City of Silk. Its flourishing silk industry gave rise to its embroidery arts, which reached their zenith during the Southern Song Dynasty. Hangzhou embroidery encompasses many forms of refined craftsmanship, incorporating numerous features of these arts. It takes as its themes such popular icons as dragons, phoenixes, peonies and scenes of the West Lake, most of which are traditional images.

Yu Zhiyin is the Secretary General of the Hangzhou Arts and Crafts Academy and is a Master Artisan of Zhejiang. Her works emanate a strong sense of humanity, affinity with nature, peace and intimacy.

XIHU SILK UMBRELLAS
16/10 ~ 28/10

Hangzhou’s famous umbrella-making craft dates back to ancient times. Known as the ‘Flowers of the West Lake’, Xihu silk umbrellas employ bamboo frames and locally produced silk cloth. They are generally light, brightly coloured and decorated with paintings of landscapes and flora and fauna, which echo classical life in the regions to the south of the Yangtze River. These objects are popular with the masses and the cultivated alike.

Wen Dehan has worked in the trade for nearly 20 years and is currently the Director of the Xinyi Arts and Crafts Umbrella Factory in Fuyang City. His ‘The Way of the Tea Umbrella’ was awarded a gold medal for being one of the best creations ever produced by a Hangzhou artist.

HANGZHOU FANS
31/10 ~ 11/11

Hangzhou fans are time-honoured treasures, superior in quality and rich in diversity, with myriad ornamentations. Fans made by Wangxing Fan Co. (established 1875) are the best in the trade, never fading even after long exposure to sunlight. Particularly famous is the ‘Black Paper Fan’, recognised for its excellent waterproof quality. These are useful as well as artistic objects and were once presented as gifts for the imperial family. These days, Hangzhou fans are widely known as one of ‘Hangzhou’s Best’ products, along with Hangzhou silk and Longjing tea.

Zhao Pingjia, a renowned expert on the specialised calligraphy and painting done on fans and a designer at the Wangxing Fan Co. with 30 years of career experience, has toured overseas several times to demonstrate the making of fans. Zhao has created some 3,000 works, many of which have been honoured.

MICRO-ENGRAVING
13/11 ~ 25/11

Micro-engraving in China can be traced back 3,000 years to the Yin and the Shang dynasties and is generally divided into three categories: stone, hair and grain engravings. As a prerequisite, the artisan must have unrivaled eyesight and the complete command of his hands, requirements so demanding that experts in this trade are few and far between.

Feng Yaozhong is one of the best and can work on items as small as a sesame seed or a strand of hair. Feng is acknowledged as one of the Master Artisans of Zhejiang and is the Chairman of the Preparatory Committee for the China Micro-engraving Society. Many of his works have been listed in the Guinness Book of World Records.

HUZHOU WRITING BRUSHES
13/11 ~ 25/11

The making of Huzhou writing brushes reached its pinnacle in the Yuan Dynasty, and even today these brushes are considered among the best of their kind in China. The art originated in Shanlian Town in Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province. Their production embraces some 120 processes, and the selection of materials used, such as goat hair, is painstaking. The ‘pointedness’ of the hair, the uniformity of its line, its full abundance and elasticity, are all critically important elements of the finished product.

Zhu Yaqin comes from a family with many generations of brush making specialists and has over 30 years of experience in the art. Zhu is Chief of the Brush Making Section of the Wang Yipin Stationery Factory and is a member of the Huzhou Writing Brush Making Society.