Dialogue with the World - Media Exhibition of the Works of M-欧洲时刊

Chinese and foreign cultural exchange ambassadors are an important bridge to promote international cultural understanding and friendship. They not only promote cultural exchanges and dissemination, but also enhance mutual understanding and respect between people of different countries. They are not only cultural communicators, but also ambassadors of friendly exchanges. Through their own practice and efforts, they have made significant contributions to cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries.

Ms. Ma Jianghong is a cultural ambassador across national boundaries. She is an artist who loves to create. Her love and persistence for art is the same as his love for life. Her works reflect his artistic talent and cultural cultivation, as well as her moral character and cultivation. She is a treasure in the art world, as well as a inheritor and innovator of art.

Ms. Ma Jianghong was born in Xinjiang in 1971, and her ancestral home is Gansu. In 1993, he graduated from the Arts and Crafts College of Xinjiang Normal University. Now he is a master of Xinjiang arts and crafts, a member of China Arts and Crafts Association, a member of China Folk Arts Association, a member of Beijing Arts and Crafts Association, a member of Tibet Arts Association, a director of Xinjiang Arts and Crafts Association, and an academician of Beijing Zhengde Calligraphy and Painting Academy. He is a member of Xinjiang Fine Arts Association, and currently serves as honorary vice president of Xinjiang Qiuci Painting Academy, visiting professor of Beijing Modern University, and professor of Art College of Xinjiang Urumqi Vocational University. In 2008, Ma Jianghong specialized in calligraphy and painting mounting, ancient calligraphy and painting restoration and wood carving in the Palace Museum in Beijing, and graduated with a certificate. In 2009, Shen Wei, the only descendant of the imperial seal in the Palace Museum, studied seal cutting for eight years. Beijing Haidian District level Intangible Cultural Heritage Project, a representative inheritor of gourd carving. Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region level intangible cultural heritage project, representative successor of gourd.

Ma Jianghong's Gourd Art

It was a chance that I met and visited Ma Jianghong, who was known as "the first person to carve gourd murals in China". Through the dark corridor, I came to her long and narrow studio. The small room is almost full of a long table, on which are scattered books, paintings, pens, papers, pigments, various carving tools and three or two half carved gourds... What attracts me most is the wide circle of Dunhuang patterns on the surrounding walls, which are rich in color, rigorous in format and neat in image. It's a wonderful design to decorate your studio like Dunhuang Caves. Ma Jianghong said that she likes Dunhuang and murals. Then she led me to a doorway on the right. As soon as I entered, I was shocked by the scene in front of me. I felt as if I had entered a magnificent art palace! The small space inside was filled with dozens of glass display cases taller than people. They were square and bright, neat and uniform, just like a crystal clear glass square array. In each square of the "square array" stood a huge gourd carved with patterns! These gourds are all colorful and graceful under the light of spotlights. They attract the audience with their dreamlike beauty to watch and explore.

Ma Jianghong's gourd has a strong visual impact. These huge calabash blanks are all Xinjiang specialty oil calabash, with tough texture, thick skin, and soft color, which provides an excellent carrier and expression medium for Ma Jianghong's carving art, thus making her gourd far beyond the level of ordinary play, and has a special shock and sense of weight.

The clear theme makes Ma Jianghong's gourd art have profound connotation and attraction. The decorative patterns of these gourds are mostly drawn from Buddhist cave murals, such as the Kizil Thousand Buddhas Cave murals, Dunhuang murals, etc. The images depicted are mainly Buddha, Bodhisattva, Flying Sky, Lotus, Peony, Auspicious Clouds, etc. The vastness and mystery, tranquility and magnificence of the Buddhist country are all condensed on these colorful gourds, which tell the audience stories handed down for thousands of years and the splendor and beauty of the holy land.

The strong artistic appeal of Ma Jianghong's gourd lies in her ever-changing means of expression. She is good at learning and using various means of other arts to express the theme and shape the image. On these gourds, we can see the vitality like prints, the magnificence like murals, the color like New Year pictures, the magnificence like Thangka, the antiquity like woodcuts, the mellowness like jade carvings, the fine brushwork of traditional Chinese painting, and the brilliance of the "pearl land" in metal crafts... All these means of expression are well understood and complement each other in Ma Jianghong's gourd art. Their combination is natural and tacit, seamless, and has become an indispensable part of her unique gourd carving language. This is also the unique excellence of Ma Jianghong's gourd art.

The exquisite modeling skills make its Majiang red gourd have a high artistic appreciation. Compared with the flat paper, it is not easy to depict the image on the gourd. Huluna's irregular streamline shape and concave convex curved surface not only make it quite difficult to move the brush and knife, but also put forward very strict requirements for the layout and shaping of the image. It is undoubtedly a difficult challenge to make all the images not feel deformed due to the curved surface, and to naturally and completely reproduce the flat unfolded murals on the round gourd. But Ma Jianghong solved the problem perfectly by virtue of his skilled modeling skills and superb control ability. She is shaped according to the shape, and writes according to the trend, so that all the images are as if they are integrated into the gourd itself. The gourd is long for these images. The graceful Avalokitesvara, the overlapping clouds, the overturned flowers and leaves... are so natural and lifelike!

The huge emotional input makes Ma Jianghong's gourd art have special charm. Anyone who sees her gourd will be deeply shocked and infected. Ma Jianghong is devoted to her gourd art career with her whole body and mind. For this career, she left her happy and warm family and came to Beijing to study alone. She gave up the entertainment of ordinary people and was willing to stay alone. She turned all her feelings, beliefs and hopes into beautiful images carved with strokes and knives and attached them to each gourd. She said that these gourds are like her own children, not only because she has devoted countless efforts to them, but also because they are an extension of her own life!

Hard work pays off. Later, I learned that Ma Jianghong's hard work finally ushered in a fruitful harvest. Her work "The Painting of King Asher's Dream Soul Bath" ("Qiuci Series") was selected into the middle school textbooks, and won the Second China Folk Art Award, and the Fourth China Folk Arts and Crafts Fair Folk Culture Brand Artist Award; Another work, Mural Sculpture of Kumtulaxin Cave 2, won the silver medal of the Chinese Tanabata Cultural Festival; In 2008, she successfully held an exhibition of her works in the Palace Museum in Beijing; In 2009, her works also participated in the "Most Beautiful is Our Xinjiang Exhibition" held in Beijing 798; In 2011, more than 10 pairs of gourd carving and painting works, such as "True Prajna, Pure and ethereal", were successively published in 1-10 issues of "Rongbao Zhai" (Traditional Art Edition), and became the recommended artist of "Rongbao Zhai" ancient and modern art exhibition journal; On September 20, 2014, the "Majiang Red Gourd Mural and Painting Exhibition" was held at the Singapore China General Chamber of Commerce; On December 6, 2014, the "Eighth Chinese Arts and Crafts Biennale" was opened in the National Museum, where Ma Jianghong's miniature three-dimensional gourd murals of "20 Points in Bezkrik's Journey", and the miniature three-dimensional gourd murals of "38 Grottoes in Kizil Grottoes in Xinjiang" were displayed. Her gourd carving of "King of Kucha" also won the gold medal of the 2014 China Arts and Crafts Hundred Flowers Award. In December 2014, she successfully held the "Light of the Silk Road - the first national gourd mural art micro exhibition".

Later, I visited Ma Jianghong many times, with students, relatives and friends... I hope more people can appreciate her gourd, appreciate her wonderful gourd carving art, and hope more people can know and know this weak and strong woman who is dedicated to art, pursues ideals, and works hard. From a young age, Ma Jianghong's gourd has opened a new art world for us. Her creative play has given gourd carving a new interpretation and higher artistic value; As far as Dali is concerned, Ma Jianghong's artistic exploration is of far-reaching significance. She abstracts and condenses the splendid Dunhuang and Kizil Thousand Buddha Cave murals on the gourd, so that they can show a different look to the public and enter the life of contemporary people, which is the inheritance, development and glory of the traditional culture of the motherland! The road of art is long and hard, and only those who have experienced hardships can reach the glorious goal. It is believed that Ma Jianghong's artistic path will become wider and wider, and she will certainly obtain more rich artistic achievements and climb to the peak.

Xu Wen, Professor of Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology

April 2015

His work "The Painting of King Asher's Dream Soul Bath" ("Qiuci Series") was selected into the national compulsory education curriculum standard experimental textbook for the second grade junior high school textbooks, and won the Second China Folk Art Award, and the Fourth China Folk Arts and Crafts Fair Folk Culture Brand Artist Award.

His work "Mural Carving of Kumtulaxin Cave 2" won the silver medal of "Chinese Tanabata Cultural Festival".

In 2008, he successfully held a solo exhibition in the Palace Museum in Beijing.

In 2009, all works of "The Most Beautiful Is Our Xinjiang Exhibition" (Beijing 798) were collected by Mr. Huang Shan, a collector.

In 2011, more than 10 side carvings and paintings such as the "Pure Prajna" were published in the "Rongbao Zhai" (Traditional Art Edition) for 1-10 issues, and became the recommended artist of the "Rongbao Zhai" ancient and modern art exhibition journal.

On September 20, 2014, the Majiang Red Gourd Mural and Painting Exhibition was held at the Singapore General Chamber of Commerce.

From December 6 to 18, 2014, the National Museum of Arts and Crafts of China Biennale exhibited two miniature gourd murals, including the "20 o'clock Change of the Line in Bezkrik" and the "38 Grottoes of Music in Kizil Grottoes in Xinjiang".

In December 2014, Qiuci King Gourd sculpture won the gold medal of China Arts and Crafts Hundred Flowers Award.

On November 28, 2014, the Light of the Silk Road Exhibition of Majiang Red Gourd Murals was held in the Tibetan art exhibition hall in Sabaga, Tibet, and a seminar was held. Shen Wei, the seal cutting master of the Forbidden City, Tibetan leaders and Tangka masters were invited to gather in this event, which was hosted by Bian Ba, the secretary-general of the Artists Association of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

On December 27, 2014, the Silk Road on Hulu and the Light of the Silk Road micro exhibition were successfully held in the Beijing studio.

On July 25, 2015, a gourd mural carving and painting exhibition was held in Shanghai 21 Guild Hall. Ma Jianghong has been specialized in the creation and research of gourd mural carving art for many years. His works include the ancient Western Regions cave mural art and other cultural styles, draw on various expressive arts of modern sculpture, and re present the millennium historical mural culture in a unique way by integrating the artistic elements with strong cultural characteristics of Xinjiang.

In 2016, he participated in the Biennale of Contemporary Chinese Arts and Crafts held in the National Museum of China on July 10, and six works were selected. Four gourd murals are carved: first, Dunhuang Yulin Grottoes, the Bodhisattva of Universal Virtue. 2、 Dunhuang Grottoes murals, pictures of Prince Sastra sacrificing himself to feed tigers. 3、 Thangka, Heart Lamp. 4、 Thangka, Sansheng. Two paintings: one is the statue of Ming Wang. 2、 Guanyin Bodhisattva. It ends on July 22nd.

On June 7, 2017, a personal gourd mural carving exhibition was successfully held in Dabao Temple, Wutai Mountain, Shanxi Province.

In 2017, two works of the 8th Huludao and Longgang International Huludao Cultural Festival won the first prize.

On September 23, 2017, a personal gourd mural sculpture and painting exhibition was successfully held in Beijing 798 Art Gallery.

On August 18, 2018, six works were selected to participate in the Biennale in the National Museum, and one of them, Huludao Lu carving "Xumi Mountains, Three Sleeps and Self sufficiency", was collected by the China National Arts and Crafts Museum.

On September 10, 2018, we went to Wutai Mountain Scenic Villa Cool World to hold an exhibition.

In 2019, he successfully held his own works exhibition in Yunnan.

On December 28, 2020, the work (all walks are complete) was successfully selected into the Fifth Biennale of Contemporary Chinese Arts and Crafts.

On May 27, 2021, at the invitation of Beijing Province, Guizhou Moutai successfully held an exhibition of their works in Beijing Huazhi Old Tavern.

In 2024, Comrade Ma Jianghong decided to hire Zhu How as a special researcher of Licheng Fanghu Festival Culture Research Institute after research.

The contents reflected by the carving art of Majiang red gourd include Xinjiang customs, Daolang culture, Twelve Wood Kemu, etc., as well as Xinjiang Kizil Thousand Buddha Cave, Dunhuang Buddhist murals, which have unique artistic understanding. The ancient mural art is recreated by using various techniques such as prints, jade carvings, and wood carvings, making it glow with special artistic charm, and making Buddhist culture and art in the western regions also be explored and spread. A short article shares my feelings at this moment: I can't imagine that I should become attached to the beautiful Kizil murals and gourd carving art at this time when I was young... What makes me so fascinated, and at the same time, makes my life blend with them to an almost inseparable degree of wonder? It is artistic creation that makes me feel how beautiful life is! At this time, my breath is so peaceful and my heart is so happy!

Yes, it is the wonderful ideas of the Buddhas that have led me to explore various forms and techniques without forgetting to experience the spiritual rhythm of nature. In my mind, every ordinary gourd has a different life, just like a baby waiting for the rebirth of life, like a flower waiting to bloom in the morning dew.

Yes, I can hear these fragile lives struggling to be born through the womb... What a beautiful and bitter process! Just as a young mother can enjoy the happiness of twittering with her children, she listens to their words sweetly, feels their heartbeat, and welcomes the birth of more new lives?

Recall that when I just embarked on the road of art, I was like a cicada struggling in its shell. At that time, my heart was sometimes surging, sometimes completely melting, sometimes suffering almost without pulse! In fact, only the complete release of self is the most pleasing to me. Now, I am experiencing a beautiful transformation process, and I gradually understand that only by transforming the external struggle into internal practice, and only by smoothing my once manic heart, can I break through the shell and further sublimate, and can I become more mature to form my new artistic face. Only when I let go of my attachment to skill, form and the old self, such as a stream flowing into the sea, can I fly out of the bound shell.

The heart of benevolence in every Buddhist story and the feelings of life in different periods are integrated into the artistic image, and the magnificent scenes in the historical stories of the Western Regions and the gorgeous sense of mural colors are integrated. This not only requires unlimited imagination and free play of each original material, but also requires a unique way to express multi-level feelings. So I try to combine different techniques such as engraving, wood carving, jade carving with the gourd as a carrier, and show the exquisite murals with a new look using the traditional comprehensive techniques. How lucky is it to carve freely in your own non spacious workspace? I don't want to stick to where I am, where the gourd is, where the mural is... or I don't want to stick to the difference between creation and life... Yes, I can enter the vast universe in the creation and taste the beauty of the infinite vitality of nature? I am obsessed with this selfless working state, even if it is just a temporary separation from secular life. The heart sits silent with the night,

Let your thoughts run wild in the wind

Those secret surges, those expectations,

After the tide recedes, I can only be silent in my heart.

Let's be enchanted!

Drunk in the water like night.