(Walking to the grassroots level in the Spring Festival) Hebei shadow puppet craftsman 60 years of knife and pen inheritance knife and knife engraved "tiger tiger heroic style"
China News Service, Tangshan, January 22 (Wang Yang Baiyunshui) A 75-year-old man has devoted himself to the inheritance and development of intangible cultural heritage shadow puppets for 60 years. , every tune is full of love...
"I can write and draw, I can speak and sing." When talking about Li Shuwen, a shadow puppet artist from Xilianhuayuan Village, Qianxi County, Hebei Province, villagers in Sili Baxiang would give such comments.
Tangshan shadow puppet is a comprehensive performance art integrating light and shadow, sculpture, dance, rap and so on.
Sculpture, as an important part of shadow puppets, reflects the producer's superb technique and profound cultural heritage.
Inheritance Li Shuwen is making shadow puppets.
Photo by Wang Yang
On the 22nd, when the author walked into his small house, a vivid "tiger" came into view.
Before the coming of the Year of the Tiger, Li Shuwen used shadow play elements to welcome the coming of the Year of the Tiger to Renyin.
Li Shuwen, who began to learn shadow puppet carving techniques at the age of 15, joined the Qianxi County Shadow Play Troupe in 1974, and two years later joined the Qinhuangdao Shadow Play Troupe, specializing in shadow puppet carving.
After retiring, Li Shuwen, as the inheritor of Tangshan municipal intangible cultural heritage shadow puppet carving, has passed on this craft year after year with his passion and dedication.
Inheritance Li Shuwen is making "Tiger Tiger Heroes" shadow puppets.
Photo by Wang Yang
According to Li Shuwen, the production of shadow puppets is very complicated. There are eight processes including skin selection, leather making, drawing, drafting, engraving, color application, sweating and ironing, and combination. A shadow puppet requires more than 3,000 knives to be hand-carved, and there is no room for it during carving. The slightest distraction must be done in one go.
"Teacher has been in art all his life, and his pursuit of art has always been sincere. From the beginning of learning, he told us not to be afraid of hardships, otherwise we would not want to learn this craft well," said his apprentice Lu Defeng.
The picture shows shadow puppet artist and non-genetic inheritor Li Shuwen operating a shadow puppet show in the background.
Photo by Wang Yang
In Li Shuwen's view, it is his eternal goal to let more people know about shadow puppets and like them.
Regarding the inheritance in the future, Li Shuwen said that he would often go to the school to perform shadow puppet shows and teach shadow puppet carving to the students, so that the children would be interested in shadow puppetry. Only in this way can this craft be better passed on.
"May the art of shadow play become even more powerful in the Year of the Tiger," Li Shuwen said when talking about his greatest wish in the Year of the Tiger.
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