In the craftsman profession, we have waited too long for this "qualification".
There were a few years when handicrafts were mentioned as "antiques" and "heritage", as if to place a limit on them, as if our generation could only view them through transparent glass in the context of a museum. However, this is wrong, and this is not how it should be.
Suzhou’s “accidental” fire
In fact, the flames were already there. In 2014, Suzhou became the "City of Handicrafts". However, at that time, my heart couldn't help but click - there are more than 3,000 varieties, and most of them are still resting on their laurels.
What do you use to talk to the world?
It was not until the second year that Yang Mingjie and his group went deep into Suzhou and launched a "new craft movement" together with the Innovation Expo. To be honest, I didn’t have high expectations at the beginning because I had seen too many “new Chinese styles” in the design circle and I felt bored.
What is "new craft"? Do you have any grudge against the "old" one?
Not really. What they do is really ruthless: extracting the silk threads used in embroidery and binding them with metal and acrylic; embedding mortise and tenon structures into modern furniture.
Yang Mingjie said something that particularly poked at me: "I don't want to do anything 'new Chinese'."
That's right! It's that kind of energy. Such a skin-like style can be called a Chinese style thing, but its essence is actually a lack of cultural self-confidence. What we are missing is not the symbols, but the underlying philosophy of life.
Those people ran to conduct research. When modern people put their buttocks on the chair, what exactly do they need? Is it something like a Xuande furnace, or is it a certain temperature with a patina? In the end, they may find that it is not the case. What they need is something that can be used for a long time and has the feeling of being in the hand.
The work really "went overseas"
The most encouraging thing is that these things are not in a state of self-absorption. They were brought to the London Design Show and also to Milan Design Week. Those discerning foreigners did not regard them as "folklore wonders", but commented on them as contemporary design objects.
Did you dare to think of this before?
There is one detail that is particularly funny. After the cooperation, even the Suzhou Embroidery Research Institute, which can be described as the most "orthodox" place, started to make innovative screens. The original mahogany style was dull and dull, like a rigid and conservative old cadre. However, once the new design was revealed, hey, it suddenly seemed energetic and youthful.
What does this show? It's not that those engaged in specialized skills don't want to change, but that they lack a pair of eyes that can see into the future.
This June, there is a place I must go to
The "New Craft Research Institute" under preparation will soon open on the banks of the Suzhou Canal. I heard that it is not just a museum. There are materials from all over the world on display. There are a wide variety of semi-finished products that are in different stages of processing and are ready to be formed. There are also design manuscripts that have been terminated after attempts but failed to achieve the expected results.
This is more interesting than just displaying the finished product. What worries people who work in crafts the most? It's loneliness. When you watch others go through the process of trial and error, you can understand the direction in which your own skills should be advanced.
What you need to do now: organize the game and find people
You need to take longer steps when walking. At this year's Creative Expo, a nationwide "new craft movement" alliance will be formed. People from 11 cities including Beijing, Shanghai, and Jinan had to gather together.
More than 100 original designers and craftsmen want to be co-founders.
After this matter was successfully accomplished, the description of Suzhou as a "handicraft capital" was no longer applicable to Suzhou. Instead, it became a status similar to a hub in the human body and a connecting device in the network.
That platform called "Jianjiang"
They built an online place called "Jiangjiao". This clever name means that it can give the craftsmen the opportunity to be seen, and then allow the craftsmen to see the whole world.
I will start experimenting from 2016 to the end of the year, not to sell goods, but just to chat, collide with ideas, and accumulate resources. Sometimes this industry of craftsmanship really needs a "tea stall" that is not so commercial.
Finally, a few personal words
I'm actually quite afraid of the word "revitalization". It's so big that it can easily crush people.
Indeed, all truly great things grow slowly. Just like the water in the Suzhou Canal, there is no rush, but it is always flowing.
If one day, we no longer need to rely on "tradition" to add luster to handicrafts, nor need to rely on "international" to encourage design, it is simply that this item is practical, beautiful, and people want to use it for a long time.
Then this movement is done.
Because life is the final destination of craftsmanship.
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