Glass painting is a kind of painting art painted on the back of a glass mirror, also known as mirror painting, glass back painting, glass oil painting. It was first produced in Europe and introduced to China with the cultural exchanges between the East and the West. Glass mirror painting was used in qing court interior decoration. Xing'an County is located in the northeast of Guangxi, at the key point of the "Xianggui Corridor", and is the intersection of the Han culture of the Central Plains and the Baiyue culture of Lingnan. The production process of glass mirror painting has also spread to Xing'an in the intersection of successive generations of cultures.
Photo caption: Portrait of Yang Lei, Guilin Master of Arts and Crafts, Guilin Civic Craftsman, and Inheritor of Xing'an Glass Mirror Painting Making Techniques, 2021. Photo by Perret
Yang Lei learned glass mirror painting with her mother Jiang Xinxin since childhood, inheriting the production skills of Xing'an glass mirror painting. He is now a master of arts and crafts in Guilin, a craftsman among citizens of Guilin, a member of Guilin Calligraphy and Painting Association, and a member of Guilin Civic Craft Association.
Photo caption: On July 11, Yang Lei Studio, Guilin Arts and Crafts Master, Guilin Civic Craftsman, Xing'an Glass Mirror Painting Production Technique Inheritor Yang Lei is creating.
Xing'an glass mirror painting process includes modulating color oil, adjusting Lide powder, cleaning glass, edging, hooking, dotting, coloring, blending, adjustment, background color, framing and so on.
Photo caption: On July 11, Yang Lei Studio, Guilin Arts and Crafts Master, Guilin Civic Craftsman, and Xing'an Glass Mirror Painting Production Technique Inheritor Yang Lei demonstrated the Xing'an Glass Mirror Painting Craft.
Photo caption: On July 11, Yang Lei Studio, Guilin Arts and Crafts Master, Guilin Civic Craftsman, and Xing'an Glass Mirror Painting Production Technique Inheritor Yang Lei demonstrated the characteristic craft of Xing'an Glass Mirror Painting - Finger Blending.
Photo caption: On July 11, Yang Lei Studio, Guilin Arts and Crafts Master, Guilin Civic Craftsman, Xing'an Glass Mirror Painting Craftsman inheritor Yang Lei created works.
Photo caption: On July 11, Yang Lei Studio, Guilin Arts and Crafts Master, Guilin Civic Craftsman, Xing'an Glass Mirror Painting Production Technique Inheritor Yang Lei works part.
The artistic characteristics of Xing'an glass mirror painting are manifested in: the theme is festive, the connotation is rich, and more content such as Guilin landscapes, flowers and birds that the local people like to see is selected for creation, expressing people's yearning for a better life such as peace, happiness, wealth and strength; the process is fine, the color is bright, the use of brush painting techniques on the back of the glass is hooked, the fingers are blended with color, the opponent's control and sensitivity requirements are very high, the color is bright, and the use of blue, green, fresh and elegant. At present, on the basis of inheriting the glass mirror painting technique of her mother Jiang Xinxin, Combining the development of cultural tourism and the aesthetic characteristics of the times, Yang Lei is concentrating on creating a new series of glass mirror painting works in order to let more people understand and love glass mirror painting.
Written by: Huang Wu (1979-) Ph.D., Associate Professor, focuses on the study of ethnic art.
Portrait Photography: Perret (1982-) National Senior Photographer, focusing on portraits of classical figures.