China News Service, Xingtai, September 4th (Zhang Pengxiang and Jia Lan) On the 4th, in a simple studio in Mojiagang Village, Xindu District, Xingtai City, Hebei Province, Feng Jigang used a carving knife and an electric soldering iron to focus on sculpting the sculpture in his hand. The gourd, as the tool moves slowly, the lines on the gourd gradually enrich.
Feng Jigang, 40 years old this year, is a native of Mojiagang Village, Huangsi Town, Xindu District, Xingtai City, Hebei Province. He is congenitally deaf.
Gourd handicrafts made by Feng Jigang.
Photo by Kong Fei
"Ji Gang loves carving very much. He is never afraid of trouble. He grows the gourd for carving himself, and the base is polished with the recovered wood knots. Sometimes a piece of work takes a week to complete." said Feng Jigang's mother, Bi Jiangzhen.
Walking into Feng Jigang's studio, there are all kinds of gourd handicrafts that have been carefully crafted in the house.
"These are Ji Gang's works. He has repeatedly figured out each work. First, he used a pencil to trace the pattern, and then used a knife and an electric iron to carve it bit by bit. All the coloring is done by himself." Bi Jiangzhen said.
According to Bi Jiangzhen, his son Feng Jigang has lived in a silent world since he was a child, but he has always been positive and optimistic about life and has a soft spot for art.
Since the age of 9, Feng Jigang has been learning calligraphy and painting by himself. Whenever he sees handicrafts, he always loves it and ponders it over and over again.
Feng Jigang is carving a gourd.
Photo by Kong Fei
"These oblique knives, straight knives, engraving pens, perforators, soldering irons, paintbrushes are all tools that Ji Gang used to carve. When he was a teenager, he could already carve on gourds with a carving knife. " Bi Jiangzhen said.
From successfully engraving the first gourd, to creating exquisite and complex shapes on the gourd, to making hollow works with a higher degree of difficulty, Feng Jigang's carving skills have continued to improve, and he has mastered bas-relief, high-relief, and hollow through exploration Carving and other carving techniques, the elements of creation also involve figures, zodiac, flowers and birds, calligraphy, etc. One after another ordinary gourds are dexterously transformed by his skillful carving.
"Because Ji Gang likes to carve, he has a piece of land dedicated to growing gourds at home. The carving knives, soldering irons, paints, silk threads, lathes, etc. he needs are also prepared as much as possible to support him in his creation. Ji Gang also works by carving gourds. He communicated with the outside world and realized his own dream." Bi Jiangzhen said.
In Feng Jigang's gourd garden, squeezing gourds are crawling all over the pergola. Some are round, some are palm-sized, and some are nearly half a meter high... Feng Jigang goes to the garden every few days to check the growth of the gourds. , each gourd is his treasure, and he will personally draw and outline the "future" for them.
"Ji Gang often takes the carved gourds to nearby tourist attractions for sale. Many tourists like his works. He also sells his sculptures through platforms such as Douyin and WeChat groups, and some works can be sold for more than 200 yuan. , seeing that he can increase his family's income, his creation is even more exciting." said Feng Mengxuan, party secretary of Mojiagang Village.
Feng Jigang writes calligraphy.
Photo by Kong Fei
In the eyes of neighbors, Feng Jigang is optimistic, kind, dedicated, and a warm-hearted person.
"If anyone in the village needs a rolling pin, mallet, or crutch, they will go to him with the wood. Ji Gang will be happy to help and polish it. He also often makes wooden gourds and tops to give to the children in the village. Let's play." said the villager Feng Yeqin.
Feng Mengxuan said that although Ji Gang is a disabled person, he has never given up on himself in the face of life. He recorded his daily life of growing gourds, picking gourds, and carving gourds into short videos, and shared them through platforms such as WeChat, Douyin, and Kuaishou. , to encourage more disabled people to face life optimistically, and he carved out a colorful life story with his hands.
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