The Story of Shi Jiang Lacquer Art

In the magnificent and age-old history of Chinese civilization, lacquer art is like a pearl that has been tempered by time and become even more radiant. It stands quietly in the torrent of time, silently carrying the profound heritage of Chinese culture for thousands of years, exuding a unique charm that belongs to Eastern aesthetics. It is a unique charm that is introverted and profound, elegant and dignified, deeply attracting the attention of countless people who love traditional culture. Shi Jiang Lacquer Art was born out of the persistent adherence and unremitting pursuit of a group of artisans who are full of sincere enthusiasm and deep fascination with lacquer art.

Shi Jiang Lacquer Art’s journey to find lacquer began in the remote and lush deep mountains and old forests. When the first ray of morning light penetrated the dense branches and leaves and sprinkled on this mysterious lacquer tree forest, the artisans had already embarked on their journey. Dressed in simple clothes, carrying simple tools on their shoulders, they walked firmly and steadily through the lush lacquer trees. In order to find high-quality lacquer trees that are more than ten years old, they often have to trek in the mountains for several days, crossing mountains and ridges, not afraid of hardships. The collection of every drop of natural lacquer is like a test of willpower and patience, after a rigorous screening process of “one in a hundred, one in a thousand”. This is not only a huge physical effort, but also a vivid embodiment of their unwavering commitment to traditional craftsmanship and their life-long dependence. Every drop of hard-won natural lacquer condenses the artisans’ awe of lacquer art. It not only has excellent physical properties such as acid resistance, moisture resistance, and high temperature resistance, but also a precious gift of natural environmental protection, health and harmlessness, laying an unparalleled solid and irreplaceable foundation for the subsequent birth of every exquisite lacquerware.

When the artisans returned to the workshop with the collected natural lacquer, full of expectation and joy, a creative journey that took countless time and extreme ingenuity officially kicked off the mysterious curtain. Taking the creation of a classic Shi Jiang lacquerware as an example, from the first moment of selecting wood, the artisans, with their years of accumulated experience and unique perception of wood, are like treasure hunters, carefully identifying the delicate texture and hard texture of high-quality wood. They know that this is the foundation for ensuring that the final artifact is strong and durable and can be passed down for a hundred years. Immediately following is the primer application process. This seemingly simple operation is actually full of mystery. It requires the craftsman to use his keen observation and superb skills to accurately control the thickness and uniformity of the lacquer. The applied primer needs to go through a long and patient drying process in a specific humidity and temperature environment. Every meticulous inspection and every moment of quiet waiting is an extreme test of the craftsman’s patience and concentration, as if it is a silent dialogue with time.

The lacquering process can be called the soul and key of the entire production process. The artisans held the brushes that had been smoothed by time, and used a smooth and flowing skillful movement to evenly and delicately apply the lacquer to the surface of the object. Every stroke seems to carry the weight of history and a deep reverence for traditional craftsmanship, as if it is a cross-time dialogue with the ancient lacquer art. The polishing process is undoubtedly an extreme test of the craftsman’s temperament. The craftsman holds sandpaper, starting from coarse sandpaper, and repeatedly comes into close contact with the surface of the object. Every polishing is like carving a rare treasure. With the continuous replacement of sandpaper, from coarse sand to fine sand, and then to the finest polishing material, the surface of the object is becoming smoother and smoother in this friction, until it finally presents a warm and jade-like, introverted and elegant charming luster. The inlay process is equally amazing. The artisans carefully selected precious materials such as shells, gold and silver, and carefully inlaid them on the surface of the lacquerware, just like an artist creating a painting, forming beautiful and far-reaching patterns. For example, in the work depicting the water town of Jiangnan, the craftsman cleverly used shells to inlay the sparkling lake surface, and then used gold and silver to outline the scattered pavilions and pavilions on the shore. The whole picture is vivid, as if it instantly brings people into the picturesque dreamland of Jiangnan, making people feel like they are in the scene, lingering and forgetting to return. A piece of Suzhou lacquerware needs to go through more than 70 complex, cumbersome and interlocked manual procedures. Every step condenses the craftsman’s wisdom and painstaking efforts, and every detail tells their infinite love and loyalty to lacquer art.

Shi Jiang Lacquer Art has always been committed to the perfect integration of the artistry and practicality of lacquer, actively promoting the concept of practical arts and crafts, and vigorously advocating the creation of Chinese aesthetic museums, striving to make lacquer art truly integrate into every bit of people’s daily lives. In terms of product creation, Shi Jiang Lacquer Art painstakingly carves and meticulously polishes, with an almost harsh attitude, and has created a rich and colorful series of products with unique characteristics. From exquisite and small lacquer beads, to tea peripheral products with exquisite craftsmanship, to incense burners, gourds, stationery and lacquer paintings with cultural charm and colorful and far-reaching artistic conception, each product carries the soul of lacquer art and has become a model of the perfect combination of tradition and modernity.

In this fast-paced and information-explosive modern society, Shi Jiang Lacquer Art has not stood still and stuck to the old ways, but has embraced the changes of the times with an open, inclusive and positive attitude. In order to make lacquer art shine more brightly in the new era, Shi Jiang Lacquer Art has actively and proactively invited well-known designers and artisans to carry out in-depth cooperation. The designers’ keen sense of fashion and innovative design concepts collide and blend with the artisans’ superb traditional skills. This fierce collision between tradition and modernity is like a gorgeous fireworks show, giving the ancient lacquer art new vitality and vigor, creating a series of lacquer art works that not only conform to the current trend, but also provide personalized customization services, meeting the diverse needs of different consumers, making lacquer art truly enter thousands of households and become an indispensable part of people’s lives.

At the same time, Shi Jiang Lacquer Art always keeps in mind its sacred mission of spreading Chinese culture. Through carefully written and affectionate exquisite blog posts, it deeply explains the historical evolution and process secrets of lacquer art, allowing more people to understand the profound cultural heritage and unique charm of lacquer art; using short videos to vividly and intuitively display the whole process of artisans making lacquerware, allowing viewers to feel as if they are in the workshop and truly feel the unique charm of ingenuity; holding live broadcast activities to interact with netizens in real time, patiently answering everyone’s questions about lacquer craftsmanship, breaking down the barriers between traditional craftsmanship and the public, and bringing the public closer to lacquer art; holding offline exhibitions to present exquisite lacquerware works to the public, allowing people to appreciate the unique beauty of lacquer art at close range and feel the shock and charm of traditional culture; organizing interactive workshops to allow participants to experience the fun of making lacquer craftsmanship, inspire everyone’s love for traditional culture, and inherit and promote lacquer art in practice. Through these diversified forms, Shi Jiang Lacquer Art has successfully integrated art into every corner of daily life, greatly narrowing the distance between the public and ancient craftsmanship, and has become an undisputed firm guardian and inheritor of intangible cultural heritage.

Every piece of Shi Jiang Lacquer Art’s work is a deep fusion of time and ingenuity, and contains its own unique soul and moving story. They either tell an ancient legend, or show the beauty of modern life, or convey infinite yearning for the future. Shi Jiang Lacquer Art is taking the beauty of lacquer, taking confident and firm steps, and striding towards the world stage, so that this ancient art treasure can continue to shine brightly in modern society, transmitting a warm and inspiring power, allowing the world to appreciate the vast and profoundness and infinite charm of Chinese traditional culture.

At this moment, we sincerely invite every partner who is interested in the integration of traditional culture and modern trends, whether you are a creator who loves art, or an explorer who is full of curiosity about traditional culture, or a person with lofty ideals who is eager to contribute to the inheritance of intangible cultural heritage, we look forward to your joining. Let us join hands to explore the trendy art that integrates Chinese tradition, and in this era full of infinite possibilities, let us jointly open this wonderful and extraordinary cultural journey and create more artistic legends that belong to our era.