Intangible cultural heritage dazzles Paris

Yang Lan (right), co-curator of Exposition Reviving Craft, exchanges ideas with two visitors. CHINA DAILY

In the earth space, embroidery has been chosen to convey the element's traditional connotation of balance and stability.

Yao Jianping, a master of Suzhou embroidery brocade from the Song Dynasty (960-1279), has created a fabric version of the Mona Lisa, the famous oil painting by Renaissance master Leonardo da Vinci. The work takes on a dreamy and mysterious temperament as the artist has used rich colors, to convey the complex light and shadow transitions of the oil painting.

As a form of fine art born in combustion, ceramics are displayed in the fire space, which represents fervor.

The porcelain form of the scroll of Lantingji Xu (Preface to the Collection of Poems of the Orchid Pavilion) by fourth-century calligrapher Wang Xizhi impresses the audience with its volume and novelty. Made by Professor He Qin of the Jingdezhen Ceramic University, it integrates the Xuan paper used for calligraphy with clay and glaze, which is molded, carved, sculpted and painted, conveying the harmony of simplicity and complexity, and the interplay of rusticity and technique.

The mortise-and-tenon technique is shown to good effect in the space dedicated to wood, while tea and wine making culture is on display in the water space.

Wang Yin, cultural counselor of the Chinese embassy in France, says that China places great importance on the protection and transmission of intangible cultural heritage, and the exhibition showcases the achievements of heritage protection, inheritance, and innovation in the country, which has breathed new life into ancient crafts through contemporary design.

On the eve of the Paris Olympics, the exhibition intends to show visitors from around the world the vitality of Chinese intangible cultural heritage, the creativity of Chinese designers, and the beauty of China's traditional culture, Wang adds.

Sylvie Correard, CEO of the Musee des Arts Decoratifs, says the exhibition has introduced beautiful items to the Paris audiences, giving them an opportunity to discover and understand different aspects of Chinese cultural output. Correard adds that she hopes there will be more opportunities in the future to work with artists from China.