Post-00s non-hereditary inheritors: be a craftsman, but also be a "shou artist"

Li Jie (first from left) and her friends create filigree enamel paintings. Courtesy of respondents

As soon as she sat in front of the workbench, Li Jie would withdraw from the surrounding bustle. Her world is only the filigree enamel work in front of her, and the tools at hand - tweezers, scissors, medical syringes...

Imitation gold wire flew in her hand, shining brightly; hundreds of kinds of colored glazes were lightly touched, and the thickness was appropriate. Li Jie held her breath and concentrated, afraid of messing up the "position".

Since the 18-year-old decided to "take over" her father's career in 2018 and become the fourth generation of enamel art inheritors of Gansu Li Haiminglong's enamel art, Li Jie has lived on the "cold bench" for more than 3 years.

Filigree enamel, commonly known as "cloisonné", is one of the famous special metal crafts in the mainland, originated in West Asia, conceived and grown in the Ming and Qing Imperial Palaces, with high artistic value. In 2006, its craftsmanship was inscribed on the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

In the early years, Li Jie just wanted to use her art to narrow the distance between her and her father.

Li Jie's father, Li Haiming, is a representative inheritor of filigree enamel painting in Gansu Province and a researcher at the China Intangible Cultural Heritage Art design research institute, and has been deeply involved in the field of enamel art for many years.

In Li Jie's eyes, when dad first creates, he will become a stranger, and his focused expression has always released the signal of "refusing to be thousands of miles away". At that time, Li Jie couldn't understand why the things in her father's hands had such magic.

When he was seven or eight years old, Li Haiming handed Li Jie a cartoon filigree enamel painting. At the moment when the pen and ink spread and the silk was outlined, Li Jie gradually communicated with her father's heart.

Li Jie said that compared with her peers, she is more quiet and can endure the temperament to complete the works in her hands little by little. "Daddy's praise is more of a motivation", but in her memory, the words she heard the most were "no" and "tear it up and redo". Once, she spent several months crafting an enamel painting, but it still didn't satisfy her father, and she cried for a long time.

On the other hand, Li Haiming was also worried that the old craft would not be inherited. He told the China Youth Daily and China Youth Network reporter that in the 1980s, after he came into contact with enamelware from his uncle, he became addicted to it. To this end, he traveled to many places to learn Gong Pen Painting, Su Embroidery, lacquer painting, and integrated these with the traditional filigree enamel technique.

Li Jie's efforts, Li Haiming saw in his eyes, but at the same time he was worried that after he took his daughter on this road, her life would lose a lot of fun.

Li Haiming frankly said that in order to solve the problem of the glaze falling off of the filigree enamel painting, he spent more than 20 years to explore the secret technology of sand surface glaze; in order to exercise the sensitive "color smell", he even watched the drama, focusing on the lighting color matching on the theater. In the meantime, he was also deceived into selling his wife's property to pay off his debts.

At one time, many people said that Li Haiming was stupid, carrying debts, and "dead eyes", but he always told himself, "In terms of money, we craftsmen still have to be a bit stupid, and as for our cleverness, they are all used in works." ”

Can the daughter of the post-00s be a good "craftsman"? Faced with this question, Li Haiming has no definite answer.

However, "intangible cultural heritage" is developing in the direction of widespread social attention and extensive participation – in the past, "niche" and "ancient" traditional crafts have increasingly entered public life and the booming cultural consumption market.

Li Jie saw the outside world's recognition of her father. Li Haiming's filigree enamel painting "Thousand Hands and Thousand Eyes Guanyin", based on the "Thousand Hands and Thousand Eyes Guanyin Statue" on the north wall of the most exquisite third cave in Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, was shortlisted for the 13th Highest Award of Chinese Folk Literature - Shanhua Award. At the same time, many audiences have also realized the unique charm of filigree enamel art from the visual shock of his works, exquisite, delicate and heavy.

"My father's studio gradually had young people learning from teachers, and even enamel craftsmen from Europe, america and Japan." Li Jie found that whenever his father stood in the "C position" and talked about the art of filigree enamel, his whole body would radiate.

Li Jie still remembers that there was a deaf and mute girl who came to the studio to study. Although her father struggled to teach her lessons, he was always very patient, writing down the main points over and over again, correcting mistakes again and again. The girl has a sensitive personality and sometimes loses her temper, but her father is not annoyed, but follows the rules, and finally helps her master the art of filigree enamel.

Now, my father will also pass on some orders directly to the deaf girl," Dad said, adding that although she could not hear it, it did not prevent her from becoming a good craftsman and improving her life with her own hands. ”

Li Jie said that it was precisely these that made her feel the value and pride of craftsmen and strengthened her determination to inherit her father's business. Li Haiming also reassured himself and taught his daughter "hand in hand".

The hardships after the "glamorous" gradually appeared in front of Li Jie. At 8:30 a.m., the day's work was officially started, in addition to eating, drinking water, and going to the toilet, Li Jie almost sat on her desk until seven or eight o'clock in the evening.

Filigree, base color, polishing, color repair, fine grinding, and then color... The same operation is repeated back and forth.

"White painting is the soul, filigree is the bone, coloring is flesh and blood." Li Jie said that because of the late contact with painting, at present, she cannot skillfully draw a white painting, but she has been a little careful about filigree and coloring.

When pinching the wire, the lines should be smooth, flexible and maintain a three-dimensional sense, Li Jie said, in response to this difficulty, she also learned the inlay techniques such as piling silk and laying silk. In terms of color matching, she is more bold, trying to borrow "intermediate colors" from Western oil paintings to make the transition more smooth and natural.

"In the past, the glaze of the enamel painting was only a few hundred colors, but now, Dad and I have repeatedly studied it with the studio members, and more than 3,000 colors have been mixed." Li Jie said.

More importantly, she found that her state of mind towards her works was "very different" from the past. "Once upon a time, the most I wanted to hear was my dad saying , 'Well done,'" and now, maybe my dad praised me, and I would tear it down and redo it." A few millimeters of gold wire, sesame seeds large color blocks, Li Jie must be repeatedly pondered, and strive to "convey the gods with shapes".

Six post-95s and post-00s who have just graduated from college have successively come to Li Haiminglong's enamel art museum, which has made Li Jie "like a tiger". They formed a "cultural and creative group" and pondered the topic of "rejuvenation of filigree enamel".

Borrow inspiration from Dunhuang murals, borrow inspiration from hometown rivers and mountains, borrow inspiration from national tides... Li Jie and her friends have a lot of ideas in their hearts, and she also converts these ideas into filigree enamel paintings and cultural and creative products that combine filigree enamel techniques such as mirrors, mobile phone cases, and small speakers.

In addition, she also tried to become a "communicator", through the shooting of small videos, live broadcast to popularize the art of filigree enamel to everyone. A corner of her father's art museum was opened up by her as a "handicraft experience area" for interested people to try for themselves. A few days ago, Li Jie became a teacher for a Thai student, and when the other party studied, he kept saying that traditional Chinese culture was "interesting".

For the future career, Li Jie still has many expectations, she hopes that she can grow into an excellent craftsman, and she hopes to let the traditional crafts in her hands enter people's lives and go to the world.

"Apply filigree enamel techniques to more scenes, such as jewelry design, musical instruments, furniture, decoration..." Ms. Li said. But she also understands that the most important thing at present is to continue to improve her skills and grow into a "shou artist", so that the art song composed by the craftsmen hundreds of years ago can be played again.

China Youth Daily, China Youth Network reporter Wang Hao Source: China Youth Daily

January 25, 2022 Edition 09