HairymonkeyfigurinesIwasbornintoaworking-classfamilyinBeijingin1979,theyearafterChinadecidedtoreformandopenup.Asachild,Ilovedtheartsthankstotheinfluenceofmymother,anaficionadooftraditionalartsandcrafts.
Mymotherhasalwaysbeenpassionateaboutlife.ShegrewupintheLiulichangareaindowntownBeijingwhereforcenturiesmanyhigh-endpaintingandcalligraphystudiosandstoresforvariousfolkartshavebeencongregated.
Likemostfamiliesintheearly1980s,myfamilywasstrappedforcash.However,thatdidn’tstopmymotherfromgussyingupourshabbyhomewithwhatevermaterialswereavailable.Intheautumn,shewouldputatwigwithpersimmonsattachedonourtablebythewindow,andplaceafewgoldenfallenleavesaroundit.Asthemorningsunshinepeepedin,itbecameapicturesquescenethatwarmedandlightenedupourhome.Sherecycledouroldclothesandbedsheets,andevenmadecollagesfromclothscraps.Foralltheseingeniouscreations,mothersimplysaid,“Isawitinmychildhood.”Ihadnoideawhatlifewaslikewhenshewasagirl,butitmusthavebeendifferentfrommine.
Aretiree-turned-artist
Inthelate1990s,mymother’semployerwasstrugglingfinanciallyandallowedhertoretireearlierthanplanned.Withmorefreetime,shetooktomakingvarioushandicrafts,suchastheChineseKnot,floursculpturesandfabriccollages.
Ononeoccasion,mymothermetanelderlymasterofhairymonkeyfigurines,whocomplainedaboutthegenerationalruptureintheheritageoftraditionalculture.Heexpressedhisconcernofhavingnoonetocarryonhistrade,sinceitwasfacinganarrowmarket,notbringinginalivableincomeandstrugglingtoappealtoyoungpeople.Becausetheartworkwasreminiscentofherearlyyears,mymotherdecidedtolearnhowtomakethehairymonkeys.
AnativeartofBeijing,thehairymonkeyisaminiaturefigurinemadeofcicadaslough(fortheheadandlimbs)andmagnoliabud(forthetorso).Itisnamedsobecausethefigurineslooklikehairymonkeys.ItisaccompaniedbypropsthatreconstructasceneaboutlifeinoldBeijing.Mymotherfeltcutofffromsocietyinherretirementandwaseagertofindawaytoexpressherselfandcommunicatewiththeworld.
Becauseofherexperiencewithotherhandicrafts,shemadeswiftprogressandsoonbecameamasterinthefield.ShewaslaterrecognizedbytheBeijingMunicipalGovernmentasanofficialinheritorofthehairymonkeyart.
FollowingtheStateCouncil’snoticeonenhancingprotectionofculturalheritagein2006,thegovernmenthassteadilygivensupporttoantiquatedartsandcrafts,whilemarketdemandsforthemhavebeengrowing.
Inthepast,manyoldartsandcraftsfadedoutofpublicviewbecausetheywerevoidofpracticalfunctionsandweren’tabletofindbuyersasmostpeopleinthecountrywereonlyscrapingby.Thereweresomepeoplewhopartookintheseculturalactivities,butmainlyashobbiesinsteadofvocations.Afteranincreaseinaffluence,peopleinChinanowhavethemoneytosatisfytheirlong-suppressedculturalneeds,unleashingmarketdemandsfortheseartsandcrafts.
Mymothergrewbusy.Shewasinvitedtoculturaleventsorganizedbyourneighborhoodandtointernationalexchangeactivities.ManyprimaryschoolsinBeijingincorporatedtraditionalcultureintotheircurricula,andmymotherbegangivingahairymonkeyclassonceaweekatalocalschool.Herclassalwaysfillsupquicklyafterregistrationopens.Shealsoteachesinpubliclibraries,culturalcentersandfolkartmuseums,addinguptoteachingaclasseveryday.
Rebuiltlinks
Igrewupintheageofreformandopeningup,whenWesterncultureandpopmusicenteredChinaandexertedtremendousinfluencesonitsyouth.Bycontrast,thepresenceandinfluenceoftraditionalculturewerediminishing.Bric-a-bracsmymother’sgenerationplayedwithintheirchildhood,suchasrabbitfigurines,floursculpturesandmaltcandyart,wererarelyseenwhenIwasaboy.
Thankstomymother,Ifellinlovewithpaintingatayoungage.Afterfinishingmiddleschoolin1994,Ienteredanartanddesignschool,andaftergraduationwentontostudyatalightindustrycollegeinDalian,acoastalcityinnortheastChina’sLiaoningProvince.Twoyearslater,Ifeltastrongdesiretolearntheadvancedcultureandknowledgeinadevelopedcountry.Itwastheyear2000,whennewmediahademergedasapillarindustryindevelopedeconomies,andthus,IdecidedtogostudynewmediadesigninGermany.Ispentthefollowingnineyearsthereandobtainedmymaster’sdegree.
IreturnedtoBeijingattheendof2009.ThecitywasverydifferentfromtheoneIleft.IneededsometimetoreadjustandfigureouthowtoapplywhatIhadlearnedabroadlocally.IfirstfoundajobwithanadvertisingcompanyandthenmovedtoanITcompanyasauserinterfacedesigneroneyearlaterandstayedthereforthreeyears.
HavinglearntalltheclassicsandworksbyluminariesintheirrespectivefieldsinGermany,Iwasunimpressedbyfolkart.Mymother’shairymonkeypursuitwasnomorethanapastimetome.However,thisattitudeslowlychanged.
In2013,mymother’shairymonkeymentorcouldnotgiveclassesanymoreduetohealthreasonsandneededsomeonetopickuptheslackatthetwoschoolswherehetaught.Thetimedidn’tfitmymother’sschedule,sosherecommendedme.Thus,Ibecameafreelancergivingcoursesontradi-tionalartsandcraftstochildren.Morethanadecadeaftermy8,000-kmtriptoGermany,Iwasbackatthestartingpoint.Lifehasbeenandwillcontinuetobeunpredictable.
SongLeiandhismotherdiscusshairymonkey-makingtechniquesCOURTESYPHOTOAligningoldandnew
Istudiedartanddesigninschool,butallartsareinterrelated.Myacademicbackgroundhelpedmelearnhowtomakethehairymonkey,whichinvolvesmultipleskills.Inthelearningprocess,Idiscoveredasenseoffun,sharedbymymother,andcametoappreciatethecharmoffolkartsandcraftsaswellastheculturebehindthem.Inthepastfewyears,anincreasingnumberofprimaryandmiddleschoolsinChinahavebeguntooffercoursesonintangibleculturalheritage.Besidesmyteachingactivities,Ifoundedaresearchteamwithmyartschoolfriends.Wedesignedcoursewareandexperimentedwithnewideasonteaching.Ialsointroducednewtechnologiesintomyhairymonkeyclass.Forinstance,Idevelopedademonstrationusing3dsMaxtodisplaytheproductionprocessofthehairymonkeyonabigscreen.What’smore,Iencouragemystudentstoplacehairymonkeyfigurinesinsettingspluckedfromtheirlives,suchascalling119and110whenencounteringafireoracrime.Thisway,theage-oldhandicraftbecomeseducationalandrelevanttocur-renttimes,respondingtoissuesofconcernamongteachersandparents.
MyteamisteachinginseveralprimaryandmiddleschoolsandIfeelveryproud.Foralongperiodinthepast,craftspeoplecouldnotmakeadecentliving,andthereforeveryfewfromtheyoungergenerationwouldenterthesetrades.Thingsaredifferentnow.Withstronggovernmentsupportandsolidmarketdemands,IcansupportmyselfsufficientlybypracticingacraftthatIloveandthatintroducesmetomanylike-mindedpeople.IthasprovidedmewiththelifeI’vealwaysdreamedofliving.
Ittakespassionandinnovationtoreviveatraditionalculture.Myhairymonkeyworksaredifferentfromthoseofmymotherastheyfocusmoreonthepresent,what’shappeninginit,andwhatappealstoyoungpeople.Mymother’sworksareaboutthepastandhowsheremembersoldBeijing.
MyteamandIplantodevelopderivativeproductsinvolvingtechnologiesthataremoreadvanced.Thoughtheworkisstillintheearlystages,everynewattemptandeverybreakthroughishearteningandsustainsourresolvetopressforwardonthiscourse.
ThearticlewasfirstpublishedinChinaTodayCopyeditedbyRebecaToledoCommentsto
“Ittakespassionandinnovationtoreviveatraditionalculture.Myhairymonkeyworksaredifferentfromthoseofmymotherastheyfocusmoreonthepresent,what’shappeninginit,andwhatappealstoyoungpeople.”
—SongLei