China News Agency, Xinjiang Kuqa, October 6th: Xinjiang woodcarving "artist": carving modern new life with traditional handicrafts
Author Liu Xuemei Zhang Ruili
"The content of woodcarving art should change with the development of the times, interpret new life, use 'old art' to speak 'new words', and shorten the sense of distance between the people and traditional skills." Tage, Yaha Town, Kuqa City, Aksu Prefecture, Xinjiang Wumaier Reheman, a woodcarver from Make Village, said that "Keeping Art" is more meaningful only when traditional handicrafts are integrated into modern life.
In Wumaier Reheman's woodcarving studio, there are dizzying variety of smart ornaments, wooden buckets, animal figures, etc. placed on the wooden frame. Under the wooden frame are the tables, chairs and benches he spent months carving out. Displays are closely related to people's daily life.
The 50-year-old Wumaier Reheman clenched the carving knife with concentration and chiseled the wooden board under his hand according to the lines drawn in advance.
I saw him bent over, his right arm leaned forward, and his right hand gripped the carving knife tightly. As far as the carving knife reached, sawdust fell. In this chiseling moment, various patterns and lines appeared on the ordinary wood.
Wumer Reheman said that this traditional woodcarving technique has a long history, and local people still use woodcarving to decorate the facade or use it as tableware and utensils.
Born in woodworking, he has been influenced by the family atmosphere since childhood and has a special liking for woodcarving skills. At the age of 35, he switched to learning woodcarving skills.
Compared with his parents, Wumaier Reheman not only has a sense of mission to stick to traditional woodcarving skills, but also has a fresh and unique perspective.
In order to let the woodcarving industry get rid of the original predicament and keep up with the trend of the times, he tried to integrate modern elements and innovate in the expression of his works.
With the advancement of science and technology, Wumaier Reheman purchased some electric tools, upgraded the wood carving tools, and with its unique knife carving skills, the carved products are more exquisite.
He said: "To give life to dead branches and dead wood, and to interpret a new life with sculpture, I have been on the road of perseverance and innovation."
Wumer Reheman has put a lot of effort into each piece, even small pieces need to be chiseled thousands of times to form, while larger pieces take about half a month to complete.
He said: "Handmade woodcarving should always pay attention to addition and subtraction. One less knife will greatly reduce the three-dimensionality and roundness of the work. As a craftsman, you must be responsible for each piece of work."
Nowadays, the furniture, decorations, handles, toys and other wood carving works produced by Wumaier Reheman are not only sold locally, but also displayed in major tourist attractions in Guangdong, Shanghai and other places, allowing more and more Through his works, people appreciate the charm of traditional woodcarving in Xinjiang.
Li Junzhe, a cadre in Yaha Township, said: "Umer Reheman has been making woodcarving for more than ten years. We have been encouraging more skilled people in the village to develop their own industries and improve family living conditions through their specialties."
In recent years, Xinjiang has continuously strengthened the protection of traditional handicrafts of various ethnic groups. Relying on the production skills of ethnic musical instruments, Uyghur mulberry paper production skills, carpet weaving skills, Kazakh felt embroidery and cloth embroidery projects, 4 national intangible cultural heritage productive protections have been established. Demonstration base, let a batch of ethnic minority traditional handicrafts go out of the "deep boudoir" and integrate into modern life, such as woodcarving, Adelais silk weaving and dyeing, embroidery of various ethnic groups, clay pottery firing, and musical instrument making.
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