These laid-off sisters have only a junior high school education, but they will not be delayed to use their fingertips
She is a laid-off female worker with only junior high school culture
She is the founder of a cultural tourism company
She is the representative inheritor of the provincial intangible cultural heritage protection project
…
Photographs of respondents who made embroidery on site
She has many "legendary identities", but when she picked up the needle and sat in front of the embroidery frame, she was just a dedicated embroiderer. You see, the silver needle dances lightly, the silk thread sways. If you listen attentively, you can hear the sound of a needle threading through the silk...
Photo courtesy of interviewees in embroidery production
And embroidery
In 1970, Yu Lan was born in Huzhu County, northeast of Qinghai. Due to the death of his father, her mother pulled 8 children hard. Her birth made this poor family even more difficult.
At that time, the rural areas of Qinghai still adhered to the traditional production and lifestyle of men plowing and weaving women. Here, women inherited the traditional ethnic embroidery art from generation to generation, and Yu Lan’s mother and grandmother were also among them.
Provide a sample for the participants
Their embroidery skills are exquisite and well-known, and every piece of embroidery, from needle to lead, from needle to thread end, is transformed into beautiful artwork. Between the ears, Hehuang embroidery art took root in Ben Yulan's little heart.
Yu Ming's "Damei Qinghai" series embroidery sachet Ma Mingyan photo
It was just the hardships of life that made her temporarily unable to associate with embroidery. After graduating from junior high school in 1984, she dropped out of school because of family poverty.
Photo courtesy of respondents to the "National Unity" series of embroidery works
When working as a small worker, moving cement, and working as a nanny, she is working hard to make her miserable life happy.
Until 1991, she was recruited to work in Qinghai Cotton Textile Factory. She took 9 days off and 3 days off. In her free time, she was finally able to embroider embroidering. She used the patterns taught by her mother to accept insoles and embroidered purses. Embroidering your own beautiful days with needlework.
Works display
It's just that the good times don't last long. In 2001, Yu Lan's cotton textile factory, which had dedicated her youth for ten years, went bankrupt and she became a laid-off worker.
But the burden of life pressured her to lose her time. After she was laid off, she opened a restaurant and a chess room. But no matter where she was, she never dropped the needle in her hand. The surrounding is very lively, but she is immersed in the happiness brought by her embroidery creation. "They are entertaining, and I just want to do my embroidery."
Photo courtesy of interviewees
She also bought a jacquard woven sweater by herself, and then embroidered on the sweater. Her small innovation was liked by many people, and her business was booming.
Three-dimensional embroidered gloves appreciate the photos provided by the interviewees
It was time to turn to 2008, "At that time, the wind of cross-stitch was blowing, and I took the opportunity to open a cross-stitch mounting shop." She seemed to find a way for her. "I help others frame works, and I also embroider some works."
Do you want a pair of embroidered shoes? Photo courtesy of interviewees
At this time, she had fallen in love with embroidery deeply. In order to improve her skills, she began to go around to learn from masters, "I first went to Suzhou to learn Su embroidery, then Hunan to learn their embroidery, and Jiangxi to learn Xiabu embroidery. In Qinghai, I also worshipped a teacher who taught me the embroidery patterns of Hehuang."
Photo courtesy of respondents to the "Epic Control" series of works in Qingxiu
After returning to school, her Yiren embroidery workshop was officially opened. She took up needles and threads and embroidered her love and hope for life into embroidery. "Embroidery is delicate work, although it is very hard to embroider, but compared to the days when I went out to work and earn money in the cold, under the scorching heat, I feel much happier!"
Photo courtesy of the interviewees explaining the embroidery skills
Bold innovation to improve embroidery skills
"I will often go to exhibitions and competitions. One is to show my work, and I want to improve myself. Second, I want to learn some more advanced experience and technology."
Carry forward the spirit of craftsman and pass on the photos of the respondents from Qinghai culture
She is not satisfied with the simple reproduction of traditional Hehuang embroidery patterns. She believes that only through innovation and the fusion of tradition and modern art aesthetics can she better inherit and develop Hehuang embroidery art. She has participated in various cultural fairs and exhibitions many times, and her works have won provincial awards.
Photo courtesy of Damei Qinghai embroidery interviewees
She boldly innovated in the subject matter, and created "Damei Qinghai Series", "Round Lake Competition Series", "Love Yushu Series" and other works. From characters, landscapes, and animals, original and vivid images are displayed on the embroidered surface.
Embroidery is completed, take a photo to take pictures of the respondent
She designed the series of "Love Yushu, Earthquake Relief" which was collected by the Museum of Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in 2015.
Photo courtesy of the interviewees of the series "Love the Yushu, Earthquake Relief"
At this time, Yu Lan was famous for his exquisite style and fine workmanship of Hehuang embroidery, and orders came like snowflakes.
Works display
"Although Hehuang folk embroidery is an artistic treasure in our Hehuang area, but a single embroidery cannot meet the needs of the public in the market." For this reason, Yu Lan began to try other forms of tourism products. "While inheriting the craftsmanship, we must also extend new works, be close to life, be suitable for marketing, keep pace with the times, and have a traditional taste."
Yu Lan shows embroidery sachet Lu Danyang photo
So she studied through books, computers, and looking for a master, checking materials, drawing drawings, and obtaining materials locally. Using poultry feathers as raw materials, a feather painting was produced;
Photo courtesy of interviewees
Picking up wheat straws everywhere in the countryside, soaking them, processing them, and making wonderful paintings of wheat straws;
Photo courtesy of interviewees of wheat straw paintings
Picking up round and flat stones on the river bed of Bayin River, making stone art paintings...
Yu Lan is working on He Huang stone painting by Lu Danyang
Learning a new skill is a very hard task, but she said: "Although it is exhausting to learn and create, but the heart is quiet, and it is very fulfilling when finishing a work." She is often alone. Staying in the studio, from early morning to late night, "At the beginning of the production, start with a small work, a work needs to be painted for more than ten days, but only by constantly trying, practice makes perfect, and finally can it be handy."
Cut wheat straw into pieces by Li Jun
Learn, teach and guide
Every time she learns a new skill, she will give it to her apprentices without reservation, or set up a training class to teach employees and people who are interested in this skill for free.
Photo of fan Jun Li made from wheat straw painting
Photo courtesy of interviewees of Hehuang embroidery group fan works
"When I had a difficult life in the past, I was very touched by the help of many people. I am very moved. I want to make more people better after I live a good life. I have sponsored children who are out of school, elderly widowed, and often follow our Volunteer associations go to remote mountainous areas for activities. I think I am happiest when doing these things!"
Introduce the pictures of the interviewees to the embroidery works
Since 2012, she has spent a lot of time and energy to train laid-off women workers, women who are unemployed and disabled people in the form of companies and farmers. "Through industrialization, Qinghai’s folk handicrafts have been developed to make their skills a breadwinner. Skills. Let them be able to take care of their families and earn money to be self-sufficient like me." So far, more than 300 local women compatriots have been absorbed and driven, leading them on the road to wealth.
Photo courtesy of interviewees of embroidered works
"This company was founded to live, but also to allow me to have more funds to help more people in need. I provide them with a platform where we can sell these things on the spot and teach them. With technology, they have family income and their lives are getting better and better."
She often said: "We laid-off workers, we can't just wait and rely on the government, we must use our own hands to create our own beautiful tomorrow."
A little trick for teaching apprentices
At present, Yu Lan, relying on his own company, Hehuang Embroidery Inheritance Base, as a representative of non-genetic inheritance base, with the support of the local government, invited many provincial inheritors to teach. "We set up a 10-day "Hehuang embroidery" training class, and we will sign a long-term processing and production contract with the embroidered ladies on the spot, and make qualified acquisitions of embroidered products on the spot, allowing fingertip art to change economic income in seconds. "
The collision of wheat straw painting and embroidery sachet
Yang Dongmei was one of them. When she talked about the training, she gave her thumbs up. "Okay! This activity is really good! Support us, those who have nothing to do, to learn a craft." Before joining this training class, she never Having been in contact with embroidery, "I haven't gotten old and can only coax my grandson. I made up my mind to learn a craft and make life better."
"A lot of people from this training came from Hehuang New District. When they first moved to the new district, they lived in spacious new houses. The quality of life was much better than before the relocation, and their lives were not worrying at all. But after most women left the field So I spent the whole day at home." Zhao Guirong, a staff member of Ping An propaganda department, said, "I think such training can not only improve their lives, but also enhance their spiritual pursuits. I think it is very good."
"I want to improve everyone's understanding of "Huanghuang embroidery" and manual skills through training to improve the quality of embroidery. I will then expand the order channel and quantity, and do some works that design some beautiful scenery in Qinghai, so that people in other provinces Come and feel the culture of Qinghai, let more people fall in love with Qinghai, walk into Qinghai." Yu Lan said that this is the only direction she will go in the future.
Yu Lan made pictures for the participants
You see, the training is still in full swing, with happy smiles on everyone's face...
Author: He Qiannan