Embroidery was once a must for women of royal and common blood alike. Similarly making pottery was an essential for daily life. But a new exhibition of Chinese handicraft reveals the masterpieces that have been created in these fields, writes Weng Shihui For more than four years, artist Miao Wei has toiled on a project. Inspired by a famous painting, the Bian-style embroidery master from Henan Province eventually created a seven-meter long masterpiece, "Upriver During the Qingming Festival." It is nothing short of exquisite, an explosion of vibrant colors and a testimony to her intricate skills. Miao's piece is just one of more than 100 pieces currently on display at a spectacular exhibition of Chinese handicraft in a gallery on Duolun Road in Hongkou District. The exhibition brings together a collection of unique native art forms that intricately combine the techniques of literature, painting and calligraphy. It is believed to be a large show devoted to Chinese handicrafts in Shanghai. To look at the handicrafts is to gaze into a world of artistic magnificence nurtured over the past 5,000 years. Co-organized by Apollo Artwork Development Co of Shanghai People's Art Press and Shanghai Montartall Creative Design Co, the exhibition celebrates the work of 11 masters in zisha clay, pottery, embroidery, sandal fan and wood carving. Miao has more than 50 pieces in the exhibition, including random-stitch embroidery - which features the feeling of oil painting - double-sided embroidery, plain embroidery, golden round embroidery, decoration embroidery and crystal-framed embroidery. Bian-style embroidery was mainly popular with imperial royal families down through the centuries and features elegant stitching to match the social status and demeanor of regal people. It experienced a recession after the collapse of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1126 AD). In ancient China, embroidery was a favorite pastime for women. While regarded as a domestic skill, it was the one every woman, regardless of her standing, was expected to master. For years, painting and embroidery were two integrated skills. Traditional embroidery refers to the creation of a beautiful layout with needles and thread. Artists copied classic paintings, and then sewed the same pattern in silk. But down the years the embroidery artists continued to add their own inspiration to tradition. Miao's "Upriver during the Qingming Festival" is a good example of how she added her own inspiration to a traditional masterpiece. This seven-meter-long work is the second embroidery piece she has done on the classical theme. She painted the painting several times before creating the embroidery work. "Every time I see that piece, new ideas come up into my mind, and that's the force that drives," she says. Drawing inspiration from traditional art masterpieces is the most common way for creating embroidery works. Ancient landscape, beauties, flowers and creatures such as dragons, phoenix, tigers and cats, are among the most popular subjects. However, Miao has started to forge a close relationship with some contemporary artists, hoping to draw new inspirations from them. The communication with young artists and exploration in contemporary art world has opened a new field for her, and her latest embroidery work features a feeling of abstract oil painting. Qiu Yulin is another creative genius who has made major breakthroughs in pottery, particularly polychrome pottery. Pottery was once the skill used to make a bottle or vessel essential in daily life in ancient times. But over the centuries it evolved into an art form featuring works elegant in posture, delicate in handicraft and beautiful in color. Some of the pottery created in China thousands of years ago is simply beautiful. "We can hardly make any breakthrough in pottery patterns," says artist Qiu, a Yixing native (Zhejiang Province), who has devoted more than 30 years to making polychrome pottery. "For years, I have been exploring new possibilities in the innovative shapes of pottery, which could be adopted for modern tastes while keeping to origin beauty." One of his artworks, also his favorite piece on display in this exhibition, is a flat, crescent-shaped polychrome piece. A close look reveals two people dancing under the moonlight. "A good piece of pottery can leave spaces for the imagination," says Qiu. "Innovation is the key of preservation. We absorb the essence of tradition while keeping up with modern tastes." Qiu, 59, says he is the only man in China who still safeguards this endangered style of craftsmanship. He has trained lots of apprentices, yet most gave up and turned to learn zisha clay, which has boomed in the art market in recent years. According to Qiu, not enough investors pay enough attention to pottery art, but he says he will continue his exploration of pottery and believes the future is bright.

来源：雅昌艺术网