All his life, Zhang Yu has insisted on having only one store, although a single work with his signature on it can fetch more than $10,000. “I must make sure the quality of my work is good,” says Zhang, the sixth generation clay figurine(泥雕) maker in his family.
“Clay Figure Zhang” is a household name of traditional folk art in China. Such artwork has a history of over 180 years. The workshop is located in a traditional street in north China’s Tianjin city. Due to the extremely delicate craft, it usually takes three months to complete a fine figurine, which makes the price high.
Tianjin has witnessed the fierce collision(碰撞) of Chinese and western culture in modern times. And it provides much inspiration for Zhang’s clay figurines. “Without the unique culture of Tianjin, the creations would lose their vitality,” Zhang says. With that in mind, Zhang says he will never expand his business beyond Tianjin. “What I want is to devote my limited energy to the only store here in Tianjin, and focus on the art,” he adds.
In the 1840s, Zhang Mingshan rose to fame for his vivid clay figurines that combined traditional Chinese sculpture with western techniques, and were coined “Clay Figure Zhang”, a brand his offspring have continued for six generations.
A century passed, and it was time for Zhang Yu to carry on the family craft. He took charge of the family business in 1996 when he was just 18 years old. Besides making clay figurines, Zhang also teaches in several universities, even recruiting apprentices(学徒) from other countries.
本时文内容由奇速英语国际教育研究院原创编写，未经书面授权，禁止复制和任何商业用途，版权所有，侵权必究！（投稿及合作联系：028-84400718 QQ：757722345）
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