Windy Shao

windysjf@hotmail.com

CHINESE pith paintings, which became popular in the 1800s, and the millennium-old Duan inkstands produced in Zhaoqing may seem like relics of a bygone era to the modern observer. Coinciding with the rising popularity of China chic and a revived interest in traditions among young people, these cultural treasures have come into the limelight once again and captivated audiences at MH Maker, a subvenue of the China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair (ICIF).

MH Maker launched China Chic Month in May on the sideline of the ICIF, offering exhibitions of traditional handicrafts and modern art and bringing together artists from China and abroad.

The subvenue also witnessed around 380 million yuan (US$52.44 million) worth of agreements and tentative cooperative projects being signed, according to Mission Hills Group, the event organizer.

A highlight of the events was a seminar held on Saturday, where traditional craft masters shared their skills and knowledge with an audience of enthusiasts.

The event provided a platform for artisans to discuss topics like craftsmanship, design, cultural heritages and their innovation. Cultural heritage inheritors in fields like clay sculpture, paper cutting, and calligraphy also shared their expertise.

Qi Zhe, a scholar from the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, stressed the complementary relationship between handicrafts and modern industry during a lecture.

“By reinventing traditional crafts and skills, we can help these treasured traditions transcend regional constraints to reach a bigger audience and market,” Qi said.

Yan Kangping, an inheritor of pith paintings, and Cheng Zhenzhan, a master of Duan inkstands, also lectured students and guided them through the basics of the heritages at workshops at Bromsgrove School Mission Hills.