'Golden Fingers' turn wood into art

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It's China’s “home of carving" – and Dongyang, Zhejiang Province is seeing a boom in woodcarving craftsmanship. Huang Xiaoming is a local artisan whose woodworks are acclaimed for their combination of traditional features and modern style. Huang has been given the nickname “Golden Fingers” – which sounds more like a James Bond character than a carpenter.

At Huang's studio in Dongyang, artisans were busy in August creating a woodwork piece called "Four Heavenly Guardians”.

The sultry days couldn't stop their dash against the clock to present the work at the coming woodcarving exhibition at the National Museum of China in Beijing.

Huang Xiaoming's woodcarving /CGTN Photo

Boasting a history of over 1,000 years, Dongyang carvings are meticulously polished to make the finished works appear smooth and lustrous. Preserving the original textures and colors of the wood, it is also called “white woodcarving.”

Despite the requirement for superb technical skills, a lot of locals have been attracted to pick up the trade. Among them, Huang Xiaoming is the youngest woodcarver to be formally recognized as a national-level master of his art.

Guided by his father, Huang started working as an apprentice at the Dongyang Woodcarving Factory at the age of 16. There he learned all the core traditional techniques.

Huang then went on to further study at the Zhejiang Arts and Crafts School. While carrying forward traditional features, his works are distinguished by his unique personal style.

"I enjoy traveling by car. Every time I finish a trip, I make a carving out of it. The work gives the viewers an image of the place. I call this series of works 'Travel with Woodcarving',” Huang said.

The essence of the traditional Dongyang wood carving is relief carving in which the depth of the patterns range between two and five millimeters. The centerpiece is focused on by the force of the cutting. Their themes are usually legends or fairytales.

But Huang has tried going beyond the limits of tradition. Any moments that have touched him in life could become the subjects of his works. In this way, his creations seem much closer to people today.

Huang Xiaoming's woodcarving /CGTN Photo

An exhibition of Huang's work opened at the National Museum of China in October. Alongside the “Four Heavenly Guardians”, more than 70 pieces of his works impressed visitors at the country's cultural center.

"It's the first time for me to hold such an exhibition. The exhibits were collections of my works over the past three decades. Meanwhile, it offered a chance for the public to get a better understanding of Dongyang wood carving,” Huang said.

He has created numerous masterpieces and some of them have been presented as national artistic treasures at significant international occasions such as the G20 summit in 2016.

But Huang is always aiming for something bigger. He’s now working on a whole courtyard made of wood.