Guixi copper carving

Guixi copper carving. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Copper carving is a traditional craft with a long history in China.

The copper carving technique of Guixi in Yingtan, Jiangxi province, was listed as part of Jiangxi's first batch of intangible cultural heritages in 2019.

Enjoying a reputation as the cradle of China's copper industry, Yingtan has long made use of its rich copper resources to develop its copper cultural industry, taking measures such as supporting companies set up by practitioners of this skill.

Huang Junjun, an inheritor of the Guixi copper carving craft, has gradually formed his unique technique over a long period of innovation. His artworks fall somewhere between two-dimensional paintings and three-dimensional sculptures.

His innovative technique uses modern forging technique during the embryonic early stages and then applies traditional hand craft skills during the carving process. This technique makes the artworks better adapted to modern aesthetics.