Jimu news reporter Ma Haoran
Video clip Zhang Hengwei
A piece of red paper, folded in half with the center point as the angle, and then cut out the aliases and arcs, changing various patterns.... On the fourth floor of the New Era Civilization Practice Center in Huarong Town, Ezhou City, Hubei Province, there is a Xia Zukang paper-cutting studio, which is not large, but all kinds of paper-cutting works are dazzling, and the lively and flexible "Fu" character and the vivid zodiac signs are pleasing to the eye.
Ezhou has a long history of carved paper-cutting, and was included in the Representative List of oral and intangible cultural heritage of mankind by UNESCO in 2019, and is a national intangible cultural heritage project. As a provincial non-hereditary inheritor of Ezhou carved paper-cutting, Xia Zukang has personally inherited folk art and carried forward traditional culture for many years.
Xia Zukang paper-cutting studio
Part of the work "Cloud Shoulder Flower"
Skillfully carved and cut to create an artistic world
A red rice paper that has been hand-painted and cut in advance, a wax plate that is not too large, a set of handmade knives of various models, this is the equipment for making carved paper-cutting, and it is also the "treasure" that Xia Zukang carries, and this set of homemade equipment has accompanied him for decades.
As a wax plate that is used frequently in the production of carved paper-cut works, in order to better preserve and use, it is made by mixing butter, beeswax, paraffin, grass and wood ash, and the degree of softness and hardness of the surface depends on the amount of butter used. Similarly, more than a dozen engraving knives of different sizes and sizes are also suitable for paper-cutting with different patterns. This is where Xia Zukang's decades of experience in making carved paper-cuts lies, and it is also his ingenuity and research on the art of paper-cutting.
All kinds of words, vivid zodiac signs, lively and flexible "Fu" character patterns, Xia Zukang's paper-cutting workshop on the fourth floor of the New Era Civilization Practice Center in Huarong Town, Ezhou City, a variety of exquisite paper-cut works are dazzling and exquisite, which makes people look at it and enjoy it.
Among them, the work entitled "National Flowers Blooming Chinese Dream" is a large series of paper-cuttings that Xia Zukang has led in decades of carving and paper-cutting career, which is 6 meters high and 10 meters wide, with a distinct theme and magnificent momentum. Xia Zukang told Jimu News that in November 2017, as a representative inheritor of intangible cultural heritage carved paper-cutting, he was recommended to participate in the training course held by the Ministry of Education at South Central University for Nationalities, and he led the creation of the work at the final exhibition.
"This work was carefully designed by me and completed by 31 students in the class over 2 days. In the middle of the work are two concentric circles, which also cut out the patterns of peonies, lotuses, chrysanthemums and plum blossoms throughout the year, and the dragons and phoenixes on both sides of the work symbolize auspiciousness. The whole work embodies the great spiritual outlook of realizing the Chinese dream, national rejuvenation and people's happiness. Xia Zukang recalls the creative process at that time and is still full of joy.
Ingenious works on paper "flowers"
The Jimu News reporter noted that the paper-cutting studio's "Qilin Sending Son", "Soaring Ezhou", "Zodiac Hundred Fortune Map" and other works have complex and diverse structures, and the theme is clear and beautiful.
Part of the work "Kirin Sending Son"
Handmade, a variety of different types of knives
"Soaring Ezhou"
According to public information, when Ezhou carved paper-cutting artists make paper-cutting works, they design a base draft on paper by hand drawing, cutting or smoking samples, and stack and fix the base paper with the carving paper, generally 12 to 15 sheets, and finally put it on a wax plate for carving. Ezhou carved paper-cutting adopts a hollowing method, through the operation of various knives, the strength is light and heavy, the knife is straight or curved, through the paper, falling on the wax plate lined below, the exquisite pattern will jump on the paper.
Carved paper-cutting originated from the traditional "pattern", once using white Gongchuan paper as a material for hand-painted carving, embroidery women will be carved paper samples on the embroidery piece embroidery, and made into ornaments. The artistic characteristics of carved paper-cutting are that words are written in the painting, there must be intentional, intentional must be auspicious, and various works reflect the crystallization of the wisdom of the people.
Jimu News reporter learned that at present, Xia Zukang is a provincial representative inheritor of the national intangible cultural heritage "Ezhou carved paper-cutting" project, a "Huarong craftsman", a member of the Paper-cutting Art Committee of the Chinese National Culture Promotion Association, a member of the Paper-cutting Art Professional Committee of the Hubei Provincial Chinese National Culture Promotion Association, a director of the Paper-cutting Branch of the Ezhou Civic Writers Association, and at the same time, he is also the president of the Huarong Branch of the Ezhou Elderly Calligraphy and Painters Association.
Over the years, Xia Zukang has devoted himself to the inheritance and artistic innovation of Ezhou carved paper-cutting, participated in national and inter-provincial cultural activities such as the China Intangible Cultural Heritage Expo, the Shenzhen Cultural Fair, and the Beijing World Horticultural Exposition for many times, and his work "Ezhou Traditional Pattern Paper-cutting" was collected by the Central Academy of Fine Arts and used for teaching, and he created excellent works such as "Precision Poverty Alleviation, Decisive Battle for Moderate Prosperity", "Rural Revitalization, Hometown Change" and other excellent works, and participated in the national paper-cutting competition and won many awards.
I have been learning the art from a young age
Such a love and obsession with the art of carving and paper-cutting is closely related to Xia Zukang's environment and growth experience. Xia Zukang was born in Yangtian Village, Huarong Town, when he was young, there were more than 20 paper-cutting artists in the village, his father Xia Yaowei was a pattern designer in the town embroidery factory, and he was quite accomplished in traditional calligraphy, painting, carving and other arts, and his uncle Xia Yuting was the representative inheritor of Ezhou carved paper-cutting at the provincial level.
Xia Zukang exhibits his works
Xia Zukang took a group photo with the work "National Flowers Blooming Chinese Dream"
Create works
Influenced by the family environment and the ears of the elders, Xia Zukang developed a strong interest in the art of paper-cutting, and when he was young, he pestered his uncle to tell the story of the old people in the village carrying pattern boxes, hand-cranked drums, and going from village to village to sell tricks. At the same time, the village grandmothers and embroidery ladies made hat flowers, shoe flowers, and pillow flowers, and he sat next to them for several hours. Gradually, Xia Zukang learned to cut his own flowers, and his relatives praised him for his skill.
At the age of 7, Xia Zukang learned the art of pattern carving with Xia Yuting, and since then he has formed an indissoluble relationship with carved paper-cutting, after which he was intoxicated with carved paper-cutting and enjoyed it. In 2000, Xia Zukang went to Ningxia to worship Fu Zhao'e, the "first cutter in the west", as a teacher, absorbed the rough and simple style of northern paper-cutting, and integrated it into his personal creation, and finally gradually formed a personal style.
Some of the works are displayed
Ezhou carved paper cut
"One Sunday when I was 16 years old, when it was a little cold in the winter, I moved out a large stack of carved paper-cut works, and not far from home, I was learning paper-cutting with my uncle Xia Yuting. When the work was cut to the halfway point, it suddenly rained heavily, I couldn't take care of so much, I quickly took off my coat, quickly wrapped the paper-cut work, and ran home quickly, although the paper-cut work did not rain, but I was cold. Xia Zukang recalled his previous experience and said.
Under the words and deeds of his fathers, Xia Zukang went from curiosity to interest, from imitation to creation, and his skills matured day by day, and gradually grew into a provincial non-hereditary inheritor.
Learning art before learning morality, this is a sentence that Xia Zukang often hangs on his lips. Engaged in paper-cutting for more than 40 years, Xia Zukang has always put respect for teachers and re-education in the first place, he has great respect for his masters Xia Yuting and Fu Zhao'e, regards folk artists as brothers and sisters, and has also become friends with many predecessors in the domestic paper-cutting industry.
Non-genetic inheritance is practiced
Xia Zukang told Jimu News that he has been engaged in the art of carving and paper-cutting for more than 40 years, and he has created hundreds of works, each of which has a unique meaning, and if there is a picture, it must be intentional, and the intention must be auspicious. The carved paper-cutting is Xia Zukang's family heirloom, he is the fourth generation of the family heir, his son Xia Yiqi was influenced by his father and the family, and gradually embarked on the road of carved paper-cutting art, has now grown into a representative inheritor of the municipal carved paper-cutting intangible heritage, but also the fifth generation of his family' inheritors.
Interestingly, under the influence of Xia Zukang, his lover, son and daughter can now cut paper, and even his granddaughter and grandson can cut five-pointed stars. "At present, 2 little guys can also cut their favorite small animals, which is not only realistic, but also the speed of paper cutting is so fast that even I am surprised." Xia Zukang said.
Homemade gear
Xia Zukang carved paper cuts
In order to let more people know and love paper-cutting, Xia Zukang and his son founded a paper-cutting family studio, teaching neighbors by hand, and at the same time, he also traveled to the surrounding villages to teach rural left-behind women and children to learn carved paper-cutting for a long time. Over the years, Xia Zukang has personally inherited folk art and carried forward traditional culture.
"Since 2012, under the arrangement of the District Cultural Center, Xia Zukang has opened an interest class in the Honglian Lake Folk Customs Exhibition Hall and the Pavilion Community, which is very popular for students and residents every week." The person in charge of the Huarong District Cultural Center introduced. Nowadays, with the enthusiastic support of Xia Zukang, Huarong Middle School, Huarong Experimental Primary School, Pavilion Primary School, Futuan Hengshan Primary School, Guo Que Primary School and other primary and secondary schools have opened paper-cutting interest classes, and tens of thousands of people have been trained. Xia Zukang even used his spare time to volunteer to teach paper-cutting skills to his colleagues in his work unit.
"As a native of Ezhou, my biggest dream is to do my best to make paper-cutting art blossom everywhere in Ezhou and be carried forward in Ezhou, so that more people can use the ancient art of paper-cutting to freeze the beautiful moments in life."