Zhang Yu

JeniZhang13@163.com

COVERING an exhibition area of 7,500 square meters with over 10,000 exhibits, the 2023 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Arts and Crafts Expo and the 13th Shenzhen Arts and Crafts Expo opened to the public Thursday, beckoning art enthusiasts to explore the world of arts and crafts.

The four-day expo, held at Hall 7 of the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center in Futian District, centers on inheritance and innovation and has set up four main exhibition areas.

The exhibits cover a wide variety of categories, including sculptures, artistic ceramics and glassworks, embroidery and clothing, dyeing, weaving and binding, metal crafts and jewelry, architectural decoration and craft furniture, lacquer art, cutting, engraving and printing.

“The expo is large and exudes a wonderful artistic ambiance,” said Li Shaoqing, director of the Macao Arts and Crafts Association, who is joining the expo for the first time.

In addition to the delicate and exquisite exhibits, a national craftsman arts and crafts competition and the Feihua Award Design Competition of the 13th Shenzhen Arts and Crafts Expo will be held concurrently.

The national craftsman arts and crafts competition primarily targets national and provincial masters of arts and crafts, high-level and intermediate artists in the field, and skilled artisans specializing in folk crafts. The competition, now in its fifth edition, enjoys remarkable acclaim within the industry. Every year, it attracts nearly 100 national and provincial masters of arts and crafts, as well as senior arts and crafts artists, to participate.

The Feihua Award Design Competition has attracted many young craftsmen, designers and university teachers and students to join, injecting vitality into the creative transformation and innovative development of the arts and crafts industry.

At present, the arts and crafts competition has received nearly 1,400 entries from 700 craftsmen hailing from all over the country. The exquisite masterpieces cover categories such as jade carving, wood carving, ceramics, Duan inkstone, mahogany furniture, tooth carving, hand-drawn kettles, Shoushan stone carving, and mammoth tooth carving.

As an important event of the China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair, the Shenzhen Arts and Crafts Expo has been successfully held for 12 sessions since its inception in 2010.

This year, the expo has received warm response and support from government delegations, arts and crafts industry associations, enterprises, institutions, and arts and crafts masters from across the country, according to the organizers.

The expo gathered a total of 236 exhibitors, showcasing high-quality arts and crafts with local characteristics.