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“Splendid Meeting” Dough Modeling ICH Exhibition Held

Dough modeling is one of treasures of traditional folk art in China. The “Splendid Meeting” Dough Modeling Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) Exhibition, which was sponsored by Zhengzhou Cultural Center and Zhengzhou Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center, and undertaken by Cultural Center of Erqi District and Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center of Erqi District, was staged at Zhengzhou Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition Hall on December 12. Cao Shunlan, member of Folk Artists Association, Henan Federation of Literature and Culture, craft artist of Henan Province, winner of “Golden Eagle Award”, the world’s highest award for folk artists, and inheritor of dough modeling ICH of Henan Province, shared her experience and inspiration of creating dough modeling over the past decades with the audience.
At the event site, hundreds of dough models made by Cao Shunlan and his apprentices were vivid and colorful, showing the superb artistic standards of ICH inheritors and attracting a slew of people. Many citizens also learned to make simple dough models such as roses, pandas and rabbits.
Cao Shunlan, who is in her 80s, said that she learned to make dough models from her father as a child. She has created legions of vivid and outstanding dough modeling works by incorporating her own unique ideas into what she learned from her father. Over the past 20 years, among the over 100,000 dough models she has made, a great many have gained a great reputation at home and abroad and been well recognized by all walks of life due to their contribution to enhancing international cultural exchanges and carrying forward the traditional folk art. Hundreds of her works have been housed and exhibited by several art museums. Over the years, she has been devoted to the inheritance of dough modeling culture, volunteering to teach art lovers the relevant techniques and bringing out a large number of apprentices.
“At that time, my grandma and mother told me that I should learn more techniques when I was young,” Cao said. Under the guidance of her family, she gradually learned this technique, and became more skilled as she grew older. Most of her works are characters from Journey to the West, Water Margin and Romance of the Western Chamber. Moreover, Cao got a close look at costumes of the ages in China, making the facial expressions and clothing details of her dough models more lifelike. In order to keep up with the times and attract more young people, she has also created many cartoon characters in recent years.
Many citizens listened to Cao carefully about the development of traditional dough modeling art and her artistic techniques, indulging themselves in the world of dough modeling culture.

Copyright by Zhengzhou Municipal Tourism Administration