China specialises in miniature carving. This relates to the long tradition of seals, which marked the intricate characters of the author. Here’s a glimpse of this tradition today expressed with peach stones.
The 36-year-old Ma Luocheng is a representative inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage: Luocheng peach-stone carving in Tianxin District, Changsha. At the age of 21, he studied Zhou Jianming, an inheritor of national intangible cultural heritage: Guangfu peach-stone carving. After more than ten years of carving, Ma Luocheng gradually formed his own unique style through continuous learning, imitation, and innovation. Every piece of carving works from the selection of raw materials, tools to the carving process, he has completed meticulously. His works are popular with consumers.
In 2012, he opened the Luo Cheng Carving Arts Studio. In addition to his apprenticeship, he also started the development of cultural and created products of “Luo Cheng Peach-stone Carving”. He hoped that he could “Use production to pay for cultural inheritance” and continue to pass on this intangible cultural heritage technique, and let more people know this charming technique.
Translated by Xue Xia from wodsy.com
