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Zhang Xiaofei: Watching an era
Suzhou Taohuawu, much like Tianjin Yangliuqing, is renowned for its traditional Chinese woodblock New Year paintings. However, the current state of Taohuawu is quite lonely, and it's hard not to feel a sense of sorrow when visiting. The peach blossom woodblock New Year paintings, which have been passed down for centuries, now face an uncertain future—recently, they've become almost a "single pulse," with only one New Year Painting Society remaining in Suzhou, barely keeping the tradition alive.
Zhang Xiaofei, who was honored as a master of Chinese arts and crafts as early as 1993, has long been the pillar of Taohuawu woodcut New Year painting creation and preservation. In many ways, he represents an era of traditional woodblock prints. With over two decades of experience in this field, Zhang has left behind only about 40 works from the Taohuawu Woodcut New Year Painting Society. That number might seem small, but considering that over the past century, more than 100 engraving patterns were left by Taohuawu, it highlights how fragile the tradition has become.
Among his many masterpieces, Zhang’s work "Shuixiang Yuanzhang" won first prize at the fifth national New Year painting exhibition in 1993, marking a significant milestone for Taohuawu. This piece captures the lively atmosphere of the Lantern Festival from an elevated perspective, showcasing a variety of traditional games and over 100 distinct characters, each with their own unique expressions.
Creating a woodblock New Year painting, according to Zhang, is far more complex than simply painting a traditional Chinese artwork. For instance, his piece "Water Township Lantern" took three months to complete. Every day, he would start painting from scratch, focusing on every detail. The process involves not just drawing the design, but also dividing the colors, planning how to achieve rich and varied effects through different printing stages.
Zhang believes that the content and form of woodblock New Year paintings are highly stylized and must follow the traditional artistic language of Taohuawu. He emphasizes that while innovation is necessary, it should not come at the expense of the original style. He often describes the creative process as "dancing with a donkey"—a painful yet rewarding journey filled with both challenges and joys.
In 1981, when Suzhou re-established the Taohuawu Woodcut New Year Painting Society, Zhang, who had previously worked as the director of the design department at the Municipal Arts and Crafts Institute, took the initiative to revive this ancient folk art. At that time, the streets of Suzhou were filled with the sight of Jiangnan women wearing headscarves and blue-printed cloth, and the market was alive with the spirit of the holidays, thanks to Taohuawu New Year paintings.
Now retired, Zhang lives a simple and peaceful life without modern distractions like computers or mobile phones. He continues to focus on Chinese painting and finds great joy in his creations. Concerned about the fading legacy of Taohuawu, he has written extensively on the subject, analyzing the evolution of the art form from the perspective of literati painting, Western techniques, and Japanese ukiyo-e influences.
This year, the Woodcut New Year Painting Society moved into Yuhantang, a 100-year-old house on Shantang Street. Zhang sees this as a positive step, especially with the growing tourism in the area. However, he remains cautious, warning that a one-sided pursuit of profit could lead to the decline of the art. He stresses the importance of innovation, believing that "an era should have its own peach blossom," meaning that each generation must bring something new to the tradition.
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