Imbued with modern artistic elements, the crab shell paintings created by Zhejiang-based artist Chen Xianglai have pushed beyond the boundaries of this form of traditional intangible cultural heritage to become well-received innovative artworks.
As a provincial-level intangible cultural heritage inheritor, Chen earned his fame through his superb horseshoe crab shell painting skills, which are part of the time-honored maritime culture in the region of Wenling, Zhejiang Province.
He has been endeavoring to preserve the traditional art form in his own way. Allowing it to be inherited and developed, he uses modern art styles such as cartoon sketches, and exaggerated images to create a new style of crab shell paintings, drawing more young people towards a mesmerizing encounter with traditional Chinese culture.