As the Lunar Year of the Tiger approaches, non-hereditary heirs use their own craftsmanship to create a variety of zodiac tiger-themed works. The tiger in the picture looks very cute, it is from the hand of a "Jinling embroidered man".
In July last year, Gao Ruilei began to produce works related to the theme of the "Tiger", and now he has successively made more than 100 pieces, the most outstanding of which is this "Joyful Tiger".
"The process I make is called three-dimensional embroidery, embroidery is uneven, loose and tight, wrapped in cloth and put a cushion, more rounded. Like a tiger, and not very fierce and well-behaved tiger, I named it Joyful Tiger, I hope we will celebrate the Year of the Tiger this year. Gao Ruilei said.
More than 20 years ago, Gao Ruilei, whose hometown was in Anhui, came to Nanjing with the handicraft skills inherited from his mother. "My mother was a craftsman and wanted to have a girl to pass on her craftsmanship, and she gave birth to three boys. I was one of them, and when I was a child, I was especially close to my mother, and I subtly liked this handicraft. Doing craftsmanship is not achieved overnight, but gradually, through continuous persistence, understanding it and accepting it. Gao Ruilei said.
Influenced by Jiangnan culture for many years, coupled with the accumulation of learning, his embroidery is more and more delicate, the weaving and embroidery are parallel, and the characteristics of his works are more and more distinct, so he is also known as "Jinling embroidery man". In the studio of the Folklore Museum, In addition to the jubilant little tigers occupying the C seat, there are also a variety of exquisite embroidery ornaments. "We were originally a kind of embroidery in the north, using silk and silk thread and silk from the south to make it, and the innovation of materials, from the combination of stitching, plate gold, coil silver, large and small needles, the integration of handicraft skills." He said.
Gao Ruilei has tested the water to open micro-stores, done consignment sales, live sales, and non-genetic inheritors have taken the initiative to embrace new media, and praise has been overwhelming. As a traditional handicraft, fabric embroidery is unique in its works, although he also took several apprentices, but it is difficult to mass-produce. However, Gao Ruilei was not impatient, day after day, an embroidery needle, a white cloth, a few silk threads, and the unique beauty of the dexterous hands embroidered, which made him very satisfied. Of course, he also looks forward to working with a professional team to end "single-handedness" and make this craft develop better.
(Reporting by Zheng Lili and Guo Kaifeng, reporters of Jiangsu Radio and Television Corporation and Rong Media News Center)
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