Chinese arts and crafts master Wang Zuguang
Wang Zuguang, born in 1942 in Fuzhou, Fujian Province, learned to make bricks with his father Wang Naiyuan since childhood. He has successively studied under the Shoushan Stone "Dongmen Sect" carving masters Lin Youqing and Zhou Baoting, and is good at carving characters, button heads, and ancient beasts, and has deeply studied Guanyin statues. The image of the work is dignified, the knife technique is smooth, and the style is self-contained. He is now a master of Chinese arts and crafts, a master of Chinese jade carving, a folk artist of Fujian Province, a special famous artist of Arts and Crafts in Fuzhou City, and a senior arts and crafts artist. He was formerly the president of the Stone Sculpture Professional Committee of the China Arts and Crafts Society, the director of the Appraisal Committee of the Straits Shoushan Stone Culture Research Institute, the consultant of the Taiwan Chinese Printing Stone Art Collection Association, and the director of the editorial board of Fujian Shoushan Stone Chronicle.
▲ Chinese arts and crafts master Wang Zuguang
Chinese arts and crafts master Wang Zuguang has worked hard in the Shoushan Stone Art Garden for more than 60 years, specializing in the carving of figures, buttons, ancient animals, especially the Guanyin statue. Successively studied under the Shoushan stone "Dongmen Sect" carving masters Lin Youqing and Zhou Baoting, the traditional carving techniques have been refined concisely and powerfully, not only with the delicacy and psychic of the "Dongmen Sect" round carving, but also with the delicacy and cultural connotation of the "Ximen Sect" medallion, the image of the work is dignified, the knife technique is smooth, and the style is self-contained, giving the viewer a new feeling.
< Family learning inheritance, diligent study of stone art >
Wang Zuguang was born into a family of carvers, and has been engaged in Yantai and Shoushan stone carving since his grandfather, while his father also specialized in Yantai carving. From an early age, Wang Zuguang developed a strong interest in carving and guided him to the road of Shoushan stone carving.
At the end of the 1950s, when Wang Zuguang entered the Fuzhou Shoushan Stone Carving Factory, he was instructed by famous teachers Lin Youqing and Zhou Baoting to learn stone carving and practice hard. In 1963, at the age of 22, Wang Zuguang won the first prize of the Fujian Arts and Crafts Exhibition for his work "Young Hero Zhang Gaoqian". His works were not only selected for publication "Flowers of Shanghai Arts and Crafts", but also put on the silver screen for the first time by Shanghai Film Studio. With a solid artistic foundation, Wang Zuguang was selected as a sculptural member of the giant statue of Chairman Mao in Wuyi Square in Fuzhou, and many of the people who participated in the creation at that time were from the class and the elite gathered. While creating, he learned various sculpture techniques, and on the basis of continuous improvement of artistic knowledge, his vision was gradually broadened and applied to Shoushan stone carving.
< Appointed as the director of the factory, > show leadership talent
In 1980, Fuzhou Carving Crafts General Factory was established, and the original carving workshop became Fuzhou Stone Carving Art Factory, and Wang Zuguang was appointed as the director of the factory.
At the beginning of the establishment of Fuzhou Stone Carving Art Factory, faced with a variety of situations such as shortage of backward management funds, conservative thinking, and heavy personnel burdens, Wang Zuguang, who was appointed in danger and shouldered heavy responsibilities, soon showed his hidden leadership talent: he was decisive and innovative in handling things, and his methods were more prestigious and high. According to the differences that everyone is good at, Wang Zuguang asked senior artists to create high-quality stones because of the "material" and "art", and successively gave birth to "Willow Goose", "Autumn Mountain Travel", "Three Friends of the Cold Years", and "Tian Huang Boyi Three-Piece Set" created by Lin Shouxuan.
In 1984, his works were exhibited in Beijing, sensationalizing the art world, and won the "Golden Cup Award", the highest award of the National Arts and Crafts Hundred Flowers Award, which was the first time in the history of Shoushan stone carving to receive this honor; another example, the carving master Zhou Baoting created "Twenty-Eight Ancient Beast Printing Buttons", which won the "Golden Cup Award" of the 1985 National Arts and Crafts Hundred Flowers Award... There are many examples, but the extraordinary works have left a masterpiece in the Shoushan stone carving industry, and also written a brilliant chapter in the history of Shoushan stone carving.
< Lychee is lustrous, and contemporary Guanyin is unique >
Lychee travertine, found in the early 1980s, is crystal magnificent, as described in the poem as "the flesh is as white as ice and snow" and "jade snow skin covered with yarn", so it is named lychee stone. The traditional image of Guanyin Bodhisattva is pure white and holy, and Wang Zuguang carved Guanyin, suffering from the difficulty of finding pure white stone and unable to create good products. The purity and luster of the lychee travertine and the image characteristics of Guanyin are very close, he tried to carve Guanyin with lychee stone, and received unexpected miracle effects, and the appearance of white lychee stone paved the creative road of Guanyin statue for him.
In order to create the most popular image of Guanyin in the folk, Wang Zuguang continued to study its statues in depth. He searched for a large number of ancient books and albums, studied porcelain, wood (copper) carving, painting, integrated the characteristics of the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties guanyin, compared one by one, looked for the evolution trajectory and ideas of the past dynasties, got rid of the shackles of traditional modeling, synthesized the advantages of each generation, and chose the best form of expression. The Guanyin he carved stunning craftsmanship world, called "the makeup is still dark, the clothes are embellished with pearls and the moon is unknown", the bridge of the nose is raised, the eyes are slightly closed, and there is both a beautiful and compassionate demeanor. Wang Zuguang's Guanyin statue always makes people feel more intimate while making people admire. As a result, his reputation gradually spread, and the industry also honored him as "Guanyin King".
< Achieve a master, and do not forget the > of inheriting virtue and art
Wang Zuguang Studio was selected as the first batch of "Fujian Folk Literature And Art Masters Studio", which can be said to be well deserved. "There is no end to artistic pursuit." This is Wang Zuguang's best interpretation of art, life is infinite, exploration is infinite. Nowadays, despite his ancient age, he is still not satisfied with his achievements, and continues to explore and study on the road of art, and still painstakingly explores and tirelessly pursues the true meaning of art.
In terms of expanding the publicity and influence of Shoushan stone culture, Wang Zuguang has not stopped. In 1984, Wang Zuguang organized the "First Shoushan Stone Sculpture Art Exhibition" in Singapore, which caused a sensation in the Lion City, and the most influential local Lianhe Zaobao followed the report every day with the title of "The Emperor of Stone Under the South Sea", and the exhibition was a great success. Today, Wang Zuguang still actively participates in Shoushan stone cultural activities, spares no effort to promote Shoushan stone culture and art, and his figure always appears in the front line of Shoushan stone culture promotion, regardless of effort and hard work, showing the master style of the pioneer banner.
Wang Zuguang carving art studio
(Located at 53 Man Ru Fang)
Wang Zuguang Art Studio will be divided into art exhibition area and sculpture creation area according to function. In the art exhibition area, with the help of a more contemporary display method and a more in line with the form of tourists, the Shoushan stone carving art and the scene are integrated, so that the art returns to "people" and "people" embrace art; and the exhibition area will also be integrated with tea and traditional wood furniture, so that visitors can integrate into it, intuitively feel the connection between art and life, reduce the threshold of appreciation, and let the practical value of art and its advocated spirit can be integrated for tourists. In the carving creation area, not only Wang Zuguang's personal studio will be set up, but also a carving creation and activity area will be set up to provide exchange and display space for the inheritance and discussion of Shoushan stone carving skills.
Awards (partial)
In 1963, his work "Young Hero Zhang Gaoqian" won the first prize of the Fujian Provincial Arts and Crafts Exhibition;
In 1984, he went to Singapore to hold the "First Shoushan Stone Sculpture Art Exhibition", and the United Morning Post followed the report with the title of "The Emperor of Stone Descends to Nanyang", and the exhibition was a great success;
In 1995, "Bamboo Guanyin" and "Yunyan Maitreya" won the first prize of "Ruyi Award" in Fuzhou City;
In 1996, he went to Taiwan to carry out cross-strait Shoushan stone carving art exchange and inspection activities, and held the "Shoushan Stone Works Exhibition" at the "Xizhitang" Gallery in Taipei;
In 1999, "Five Sons Wishing For Life" won the second prize of fuzhou "Ruyi Award" and was refined into "China Post Postcard";
In 2001, "Li Guanyin" won the gold medal of the China Arts and Crafts Exposition;
In 2003, "Blessing" won the gold medal of the China Arts and Crafts Masters Exposition;
In 2004, "Sending Son Guanyin" won the gold medal of the China Arts and Crafts Masters Exposition;
In 2005, "Lying Guanyin" won the Gold Medal of Traditional Art at the China Arts and Crafts Masters Exposition;
In 2006, he was awarded the title of "Master of Chinese Arts and Crafts (Fifth Session)".
Admission
Organized the "First Shoushan Stone Carving Art Exhibition" in Singapore;
His works have been exhibited at the National Art Museum of China at the National Art Museum of China, sponsored by the Chinese Folk Writers Association and the Fujian Provincial Federation of Literary Artists, and hosted by the Fujian Folk Writers Association, and hosted by the Fujian Folk Writers Association.
His works have been exhibited in the "Shi Yao New Era - Chinese Arts and Crafts Masters Art Exhibition" sponsored by the Fujian Folk Writers Association and the Fujian Strait Folk Art Museum.
Published articles and publications
The article "Shi Jia Yi Jing Can Be Passed Down to the World" was published in people's daily;
"Guanyin Statue is unique Shoushi Culture Virtue and Art Inheritance - Remembering the Chinese Arts and Crafts Master Wang Zuguang" was published in "Craft China";
"Master of Arts and Crafts Series Interview - Wang Zuguang: Art Is Endless" was published on the official website of Beijing Shiwo Sculpture Art School.