China News Service, Jinzhong, July 12th telegram: Shanxi's "clay figurine swallow" taps "mud" into gold, and skillfully squeezes out all kinds of life
Author Yang Jing
Take a ball of prepared mud and knead and carve it. After more than an hour, the mud "grown" out facial features and limbs, and became the appearance of a child.
On the 12th, in a studio in Lingshi County, Jinzhong City, Shanxi Province, Yan Huaqiang, a folk craftsman, was engrossed in sculpting human figures with mud.
In Yan Huaqiang's studio, dozens of clay sculptures are displayed, including the representation of characters in rural life scenes, as well as the statues of athletes, relatives and friends. Each character has a different look and vivid expression.
Yan Huaqiang said that each statue has its own story.
Yan Huaqiang has very strict requirements for each piece of clay sculpture, he said that every step should not be sloppy.
Photo by Zhang Yuanyuan
As far back as I can remember, Yan Huaqiang, who likes to paint, has followed his father to "play" with mud. "Our family has been doing clay sculpture work since grandpa. When we were young, my father would teach us to make some kittens and puppies." Huaqiang became addicted to clay sculpture. When he was in his teens, he began to study clay sculptures for 40 years.
Yan Huaqiang's clay sculpture works are mainly human figures, either alone or in groups of three or five, with simple shapes and expressive expressions.
Shaping, carving, polishing, washing, drying, and coloring... Yan Huaqiang introduced that it is not difficult to shape a clay sculpture of a character. "The difficulty is to grasp the demeanor and shape of the character." Creating a work requires full attention. Yan Huaqiang has very strict requirements for each clay sculpture work. He said that every step should not be sloppy.
Clay sculpture "Strings of Relatives".
Photo by Zhang Yuanyuan
The depiction of the demeanor of clay figures requires relatively high requirements for the viscosity and hardness of the mud.
The clay used in Yan Huaqiang's clay sculpture is made up of several kinds of soil. "The prepared soil needs to be packed in a bag and placed for 3 days before it can be kneaded and used." Yan Huaqiang said: "This kind of soil is better for shaping. After kneading, it can be dried in the shade, and after a week of drying until it turns white, the works at this time can be kept in the air all the time without cracking, and can also be fired and colored.”
Yan Huaqiang said that during the 40 years of making clay sculptures, he wanted to give up this boring hobby several times, but his father was reluctant to lose this skill, and only persevered with his father's constant encouragement.
"There are many things that can be expressed in clay." On the cabinet in Yan Huaqiang's studio, a clay sculpture of a family of six is very conspicuous, "This work is called "Crossing Relatives", it is my father riding a bicycle with my mother and us. The scene of the four brothers visiting relatives during the Chinese New Year, I hope to use this work to recall the life scene at that time, and to educate the children to be filial to their parents and to be grateful to their parents.”
Yan Huaqiang hopes to carry forward the traditional "Yan's Clay Sculpture" and pass it on from generation to generation.
Photo by Zhang Yuanyuan
"'Yan's Clay Sculpture' is to restore the original ecology as much as possible." Yan Huaqiang told reporters that on the basis of inheritance, he is also seeking some innovations in recent years.
"Using putty powder and other materials, I created a clay sculpture relief painting and painted it on the wall, which has a three-dimensional effect and plays a decorative role."
Creating clay sculptures requires certain painting skills, as well as patience, care, and perseverance, so its inheritance is not optimistic now.
"There are currently five or six apprentices. In the next step, I hope to promote traditional skills into campus activities with the support of relevant departments, so that more children can understand this traditional handicraft art." Yan Huaqiang said that he hoped to carry forward the traditional "Yan's clay sculpture" and replace it. passed on from generation to generation.
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