Ah Wei's wood carving life: learning art is to make a living

Drawing, drilling, carving, sanding, coloring... For the various steps of the wood carving process, Master Ah Wei knows it very well, and when he picks up the wood carving work, there is no lack of pity. But now, in the eyes of others, he is not so much a woodcarver as a wood carving businessman.

It's hard to learn art, and it's even harder to work

Ah Wei, born in 1971 in western Guangdong, in his 10s, he learned wood carving skills with his teacher Fu, did many years of decoration work, and is now the owner of a wood carving shop and a micro-merchant selling wood carving products on the Internet platform.

After graduating from junior high school, with the idea of learning art to make a living, Ah Wei and his brother and sister went to the wood carving craft factory together to learn art with the teacher Fu. At the moment when the daily salary is only 3 yuan-5 yuan, Ah Wei's parents also feel that this is a good opportunity to "make a living".

The three brothers and sisters divide their work and learn different production processes. "It's hard to learn this, it's harder than going to college." Ah Wei began his own study and art life with difficulty, starting from the most basic cultivation and scraping things, constantly pondering, and practicing the basic skills day after day. After two or three years of persistence, it finally suddenly opened up at a certain time; the proportion of characters who had felt that they were difficult to grasp in the past was also formed in their minds; and the day of leaving the factory and making an independent living finally came.

But what he did not expect was that the difficulty of learning art was only the beginning, and the reality was often more cruel.

After several twists and turns, the sisters and brothers found that the craft of wood carving was not easy to find a job, and the income was low. Therefore, the three sisters and brothers went their separate ways, engaged in interior decoration, painting, business...

Unlike many examples of craftsmen on the news, even if they are poor, they have persisted for many years, only for the sake of skill. In Ah Wei's mouth, at that time, he only worked hard for his livelihood, and always said plainly, "I want to make a living." They make furniture and make door frames, which are far from the finesse of wood carving, but they always have a relationship with wood.

Now, more than 30 years later, when Ah Wei is standing in his small wood carving shop, carefully removing the plastic wrap wrapped in a new work for display, the serious look seems to be telling something.

Old craftsmanship, new life

"After the economy improved, I slowly liked it again, and I also started some collection of huanghuali." Now, Ah Wei and his brother and sister have begun to do wood carving again. Over the years, several brothers and sisters often "make a living" together, and those who receive a job will do it together, and divide the work together to do wood carving. From receiving custom orders, to drawing, drilling, carving, polishing, coloring, and finally sales, they worked together to create a "miniature world on wood", and also realized the connection between the present and the past, and the life of wood carving was connected again.

They collected fine wood carvings from all over the world, precious wood, and sold wood carving collections, and occasionally received some wood carving production orders. In the offline store, he sat in a daily sit-in drinking tea and introducing wood carvings and wood. Sometimes like a businessman, sometimes like a craftsman.

In his circle of friends, there are also information on the sale of collectibles and information on table tennis. When it comes to table tennis, it is full of love that comes from the paving, but the homemade wood carvings are invisible here.

Editor's Note:

In the brief contact with Ah Wei, he acted more like a non-traditional businessman, mentioning the original intention and process of learning wood carving, and simply saying "please life", not talking about love or feelings. But when I show my new production, I feel as if I can see some love.

Perhaps, pure love is a very difficult thing, and it can be sustained by relying on it?