In Chaozhou, Guangdong, the land of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, there is such a craftsman. Although he comes from other places, he has mastered the skills of Chaozhou wood carving so well that he has impressed countless locals.
He is Li Zhongqing, a Chinese arts and crafts master who likes to work with wood. However, compared to the title of "Master Li", Li Zhongqing prefers others to call him "Old Li", "This is more cordial!"
"Lao Li" was born in Dongyang, Zhejiang, which is the "Dongyang" mentioned in the ancient Chinese text "Preface to Ma Sheng in Dongyang" in the middle school Chinese textbook. Dongyang and Chaozhou are both the hometowns of wood carving. One is the starting point of Li Zhongqing's learning, and the other is where he refined his skills. The collision of the two allowed Li Zhongqing to realize his unique skill "Eastern Chao Wood Carving".
Li Zhongqing has been in Chaozhou for more than 30 years. From an ordinary migrant worker to a national arts and crafts master and a national model worker, the city of Chaozhou has witnessed his youthful passion and tolerated his ups and downs. A few days ago, we went to the Dongchao Wood Sculpture Art Museum in downtown Chaozhou and listened to "Old Li" telling his story of learning art in the studio -
Learn from a master and eat from hundreds of families
In Dongyang, Zhejiang Province in the 1970s and 1980s, almost all men had to learn a craft and become masons, carpenters, tailors, painters... Only in this way could they have "the ability to eat", and Li Zhongqing was no exception.
After unfortunately contracting polio as a child, Li Zhongqing's left leg became permanently disabled and he had to use crutches to walk. In order to enable Li Zhongqing to support himself when he grew up, his parents specially chose a slightly easier craft for him - wood carving. "When I was a child, it was not called wood carving, it was called carved flower. The neighbor next door was doing carved flower, and I just thought it was funny when I saw it." Li Zhongqing recalled.
When he was sixteen or seventeen years old, Li Zhongqing began to study under teachers and eat food from hundreds of families. He would follow his master to whichever village there was work. In Dongyang, Zhejiang, the wedding custom of "Ten Miles of Red Makeup" has a long history. Whenever a daughter of a family gets married, her parents will buy a red paint dowry for her early, including a washstand, a table with eight immortals, a large flower bed and other festive furniture.
At this time, the wood carving master should come on stage. Li Zhongqing clearly remembers the hours of work it took to carve each object, "One day counts as one job, the washstand requires four workers, the Eight Immortals table requires two workers, and the large flower bed requires 16 workers... To complete a dowry set, it often has to be done at the owner's house Stay at home for two months.”
The salary is one yuan and three dollars a day, and the boss includes food and accommodation, plus a pack of cigarettes. This was the treatment received by woodcarving masters at that time. As an apprentice, you cannot get paid for your work, and you have to hand it over to the master who teaches you the skills. "The so-called apprentice of three years becomes half a master in four years." However, before three years, Li Zhongqing left his hometown in Dongyang.
From painting to engraving, achieve omnipotence
Under the introduction of relatives, Li Zhongqing, who had just turned 18, entered a large wood carving factory in Jiangxi and officially became a disciple of Dongyang famous wood carving master Guo Zhigao, who was known as the "Prime Minister of Carving".
"The work intensity is much higher than that in the village, but the happiest thing is that I can get a salary." Li Zhongqing remembered that he received 36 yuan in the first month of work. At that time, the market price of a pound of rice was 10 cents. , he feels very good about himself.
Holding a knife in his left hand and an ax in his right hand, he struck hard again and again, causing sawdust to fly everywhere... Often after a day's work, Li Zhongqing's hands were numb from the shock.
"I dare not straighten my fingers, and I dare not pinch them back. It hurts!" Li Zhongqing still remembers that kind of pain. Dragging my exhausted body, I often find it difficult to fall asleep at night because of the pain. "There was really no other way, so I found a rope and tied it to the bed and hung my fingers up like this." Li Zhongqing said that he also developed his basic skills at that time.
Although the master Guo Zhigao was strict, he recognized his apprentice's seriousness and diligence. In addition to sculpture, he also taught Li Zhongqing painting. "Designing the drawing is the first step to complete the wood carving. If a person doesn't even know how to draw, it is impossible to make the best wood carving." The master's warning seems to be still in his ears.
While at the factory, the master gave Li Zhongqing a copy of "Suzhou Embroidery Patterns" and asked him to spend half an hour every day copying and studying it. After seven or eight months, the characters, flowers and birds in "Suzhou Embroidery Patterns" naturally came to Li Zhongqing's pen. From artwork design to hands-on carving, Li Zhongqing can complete it all by himself.
"Old Li" returns, builds bridges and becomes famous
Li Zhongqing left Zhejiang and went to work in Jiangxi, Guangdong, Fujian and other places. Like most migrant workers who leave their hometowns, his purpose is just to earn a living.
In 1991, Li Zhongqing came to Chaozhou, Guangdong for the first time, a city with a long history of wood carving like Dongyang, Zhejiang. "At that time, I had just built a new house in my hometown in Zhejiang, and I owed someone some money. I came to Chaozhou to work in the hope of paying back the money as soon as possible." Li Zhongqing said with a smile.
Slowly, he went from being the most inconspicuous worker in the wood carving factory to being promoted to the factory's general inspector. Everyone knew that there was an "Old Li" in Chaozhou who came from Dongyang, Zhejiang Province.
With the upsurge of state-owned enterprise restructuring, Li Zhongqing quickly decided to go it alone. However, the good times did not last long, and Li Zhongqing suffered the biggest blow in his life.
At the end of the 20th century, affected by the financial crisis, the overseas orders placed by Li Zhongqing not only found it difficult to repay, but also saddled him with huge debts. "We craftsmen have been happy, confused, and wronged. We have tasted many kinds of emotions." Li Zhongqing decided to give up wood carving for the first time. While dismissing his workers, he also used the knives and axes he had used for decades. Give them all away.
By the time he returned to Chaozhou again, it was already 2005. A phone call from a friend gave him hope again. "Guangji Bridge was undergoing restoration at the time, and a friend introduced me to participate, and I successfully undertook the overall restoration task of the pavilions and pavilions of Guangji Bridge." Li Zhongqing was very touched.
It took two years, and under his leadership, the restoration work of all pavilions and pavilions on Guangji Bridge was accepted and delivered as scheduled. In 2007, the restored Guangji Bridge was reopened and became a major attraction in Chaozhou. As a result, the reputation of "Lao Li" spread further and further.
Innovate techniques and go abroad
"Some people say that the city of Chaozhou is xenophobic, but I have never felt this way." Li Zhongqing said sincerely. It has been more than thirty years since he first came to Chaozhou. Not only has he integrated into the city in life, but he has also created new sparks in the collision between Dongyang wood carving and Chaozhou wood carving.
Dongyang woodcarving and Chaozhou woodcarving are both among the four major woodcarvings in China, each with its own characteristics. In terms of carving techniques, Chaozhou wood carvings are mainly through carvings, with a three-dimensional and rough style; Dongyang wood carvings are mainly relief carvings and are famous for their delicacy. "Dongyang wood carvings are suitable for viewing from a close distance, while Chaozhou wood carvings are suitable for viewing from a distance." Li Zhongqing said.
Li Zhongqing, who is well versed in the essence of wood carving art in both places, "combined" the two different artistic styles and carving techniques of Dongyang and Chaozhou into one after decades of exploration and practice, thus creating the "Eastern Chao Wood Carving Art School" ".
The aesthetic pursued by "Dong Chao Wood Carving" is to simultaneously display a sense of layering and three-dimensionality in the same work. To achieve such an effect, Li Zhongqing summarized an "exclusive secret", that is, the angle formed by the main body of the carving and the base plate must be maintained. At 30 degrees to 45 degrees.
Since then, Li Zhongqing has also taken "Dong Chao Wood Sculpture" abroad and undertook the renovation project of Tuas Pekong Palace in Singapore in 2017. Due to the infusion of innovative techniques into the design, all the wood carving decorative components and furnishing wood carving artworks at Tuas Pekong Palace in Singapore are unique and have caused quite a stir in the local area.
Although he has become famous at home and abroad, Li Zhongqing still keeps a low profile. He jokingly said, "I am just a craftsman, and wood carving just adds a little beauty to life!"
Interview
The wood carving is speechless, but the personality and emotions of the author can be seen
Yangcheng Evening News: How do you understand the identity change from "craftsman" to "shou artist"?
Li Zhongqing: I was originally a "craftsman". After becoming a national arts and crafts master, and receiving many social honors, I deeply felt that the responsibilities on my shoulders were getting heavier and heavier, so I became a "shou artist". Just keep the craftsmanship in hand. Craftsmanship is not difficult, what is difficult is "keeping the art".
Yangcheng Evening News: Indeed. How should "Shou Yi" be done specifically?
Li Zhongqing: On the basis of good protection, think about how to innovate and develop in a personalized way. Nowadays, if there are no names attached to many wood carving works, you would not know who made them just by looking at the works. I believe that a good work should reflect the author's personality and emotions. At the same time, craftsmen cannot follow the trend or always follow the market. We should think about how to lead the market.
Yangcheng Evening News: You have made great breakthroughs in personalized innovation. What are your future goals?
Li Zhongqing: As a "leader" in the woodcarving industry, we must do something for this industry. At the same time, since I have come to this industry, I have to leave a deep footprint here.
I hope that a hundred years from now, there will still be people in Chaozhou who know that a foreigner named Li Zhongqing once came here. So I want to leave some works to let future generations evaluate our value at that time. I often say that making money is not our whole purpose, just like working is not the whole purpose of life.
Yangcheng Evening News: As the founder of the "Eastern Chao Woodcarving Art School", to a certain extent, do you disagree with dividing art into different schools?
Li Zhongqing: Yes, I disagree. Take me as an example. After a person from Dongyang, Zhejiang Province makes a Chaozhou wood carving, would you say he belongs to Chaozhou wood carving or Dongyang wood carving? Art schools don’t need to be divided so finely. Now society wants to separate it, but we are actually passive. Social inheritance requires a system, so there is the current school. For me personally, art can be divided into national boundaries, but it cannot be divided into genres. It is my goal to raise art to a higher level and thereby improve social aesthetics.
Chief planner: Du Chuangui, Lin Haili
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Text/Reporter Literary Zhu Shaojie Zhou Xinyi