Because of its mighty strength, the tiger is honored as the "king of the beasts". Because it has a breathtaking power, a majestic wind like a mountain, people have borrowed the power of the tiger for generations, conquered nature, and realized themselves. Then the tiger has also become the spiritual sustenance of our nation to raise its eyebrows and breathe and revitalize the national prestige.
The custom of advocating these spirits has spread widely in the folk, and people have designed various forms for tigers, including "flying tigers" with wings; "town house tigers" with five poisonous feet; "tigers wearing lotuses" that express endless life; "cloth tigers" who are mighty but not angry, angry but not vicious, and childish; "lazy tigers" who scratch their heads like domestic animals; "happy tigers" who are full of copper coin strings; there are various kinds of "mud tigers"; and there are "Ai Hu" who celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival for children. In various literary and artistic works, the tiger has also become an important subject for many artists. These phenomena are full of people's reverence for tigers and worship of tigers. However, this kind of white yearning is mostly accompanied by a primitive hazy consciousness. We both believe that this worship is also a manifestation of totem worship.
Professor Lu Guangzhao of the Central Academy of Arts and Crafts
Later, the totem worship gradually developed, and the tiger corresponded to the "Yin" in the twelve branches, and was associated with the birthday of the person, becoming one of the twelve zodiac signs, forming a unique Xiao tiger culture.
Wei Zixi, a Chinese painter, a principle of the Chinese Artists Association, and the founder of the New Jinling School
"Hundred Tigers Shake Yue" focuses on the word "Shake", and the hundred tigers engraved strive to be mighty and majestic, and want to form a majestic atmosphere, the soul of wind and thunder, to sing the soul of the tiger, to help the country.
Principles of the China Book Association
Most of the Xiao Hu in The Seal absorbs the characteristics of the Han portrait bricks, reflecting the majesty in the horror, the strangeness in the vitality, the solemnity in the majesty, and the imagination in the mystery, forming an atmosphere of a fierce tiger shaking the mountain, and setting off the majesty of the tiger. Some of the tiger shapes are taken from Dunhuang murals, and their meandering abstraction and ideal colors are very strong. Some are also taken from stone carvings, sculptures, and tiles, and their shapes are obvious, the pen and ink are concise, and the trend is moving.
In terms of specific creation, we strive to adapt measures to local conditions and set up a position. The tiger print is shaped in all directions, and it is now the "king of the mountains". Xiao Hu's shape is simple, not seeking detail, but seeking to be majestic and imposing.
Of all the zodiac series of seal engravings, the tiger is the most exaggerated, deformed, and abstract group. We both believe that the majestic tiger soul cannot be carried by small dots of thin lines, but must be displayed in a general situation. Just like the urgent chapter in the Han Seal, the whole slope is staggered, the knife marks are sharp and obvious, the knife method is rough and simple, the combination of punching and cutting, mainly cutting, the lines are thick and generous, constituting the bones and bones of Weihu. In order to reflect the strength of the tiger, attention is paid to the depiction of the tiger's claws and tiger's tail. Four claws grip the ground, the macro tail is strongly rolled, and the power is radiant. And some of them lie still in contemplation; some stand on their stomachs; some tigers sweep their tails and rise to the top; some jump and pounce, bravely and furiously. Folk often feel the tiger's might with "tiger roar", it can be seen that the tiger's mouth is the key to the tiger's might, so it attaches importance to the portrayal of the tiger's mouth, or open mouth and imposing, or semi-closed and angry roaring mountain gang. Bold trade-offs, trying to be within the square inch of the stone, now a thousand miles. Let the mighty spirit of the tiger naturally overflow. Make people see the tiger map and think of thousands of miles, think of the tiger soul and associate through.
Throughout the creation, we both fantasized about Xiao Huyin's beauty, majesty, strangeness, and simplicity, which triggered endless emotions and reverie. In addition to the mighty tiger, there are also vivid and lively times, and the floating water tiger and the water licking tiger appeared in "Hundred Tigers Shake The Mountain" have another taste. However, the tiger did not lose its might, still opened its eyes and was alert to the eight directions, making us more aware of the richness of the tiger's soul.
Ren Jiyue, a master of traditional Chinese studies, a philosopher, a religious scholar, a historian, and the former director of the National Library of China, has been the subject of succession
Liu Shaotang, scholar, former member of the National Committee of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, and former vice chairman of the China Writers Association
"The tiger is better than the past, and the world is turned upside down." The footsteps of the new century are already clearly audible. Our motherland, nation, and individuals all need the vigor and vitality of the tiger, and this is where the hope for China's rejuvenation lies. We hope that those who belong to the tiger will have tiger spirit, and we also hope that our motherland belongs to the tiger and our Chinese nation belongs to the tiger, shaking up a majestic wind of the times and arousing the tiger spirit in the sky.
Lyricist and former director of the China Opera and Dance Theatre, Qiao Yuti
I always feel a little magical when I think of the idea of exploring the Chinese zodiac that germinated more than a decade ago. After hard work, when the thousands of zodiac prints were placed in front of us, we both felt relieved at the same time, and finally ended a wish in our pursuit of artistic exploration.
Author: Chen Guanying, Zhang Weiping
Editor: Wang Xiaojun