The Shenzhen Arts and Crafts Cultural Innovation Institute is displaying over 40 innovative works of eight arts and crafts masters in Hall 13 of the Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center, Bao’an District during the ongoing 18th China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair.
A miniature sculpture watch, which features a sea world created by Tao Jinhuan, shows a high level of engraving craftsmanship. Most designed elements in the watch dial are even smaller than a grain of rice.
The watch dial was made from titanium, which is stronger and lighter compared to other metals. According to Tao, he used flames to make the original titanium material show different colors, and the most difficult part is to burnish the designed elements. It takes at least six months to finish a handcrafted watch dial of this kind.
“The miniature sculpture watch was just transported to the cultural fair from Geneva after being displayed at the 2022 GemGenève exhibition,” Tao said, adding that it attracted the attention of industry professionals, including a top official from Cartier.
Additionally, a Chinese-style pearl necklace on display at the booth of the Shenzhen Arts and Crafts Cultural Innovation Institute is also an eye-catcher. Teng Yuansheng, creator of the necklace, said that he combined western Baroque pearls with traditional Chinese elements when designing the necklace. The handmade necklace took Teng eight months to complete.
“It is very important to make full use of our Chinese culture to create artworks that can stand out in the global market. Most of my designed pearl works are based on Confucianism,” Teng said.
From Teng’s perspective, aesthetic appreciation, or admiration of beauty, is very important when it comes to cultural innovation. Each creation process is unique, which is all about how you use new and innovative techniques to turn artistic ideas into reality.
In recent years, the Shenzhen Arts and Crafts Cultural Innovation Institute has focused its research on the industrial added value of artworks. “Pure industrial products lack craftsmanship while handcrafted products take a longer time. So, we looked at many successful cases in this regard and gained some valuable experiences,” said a staffer from the institute.