1. Su style brick carving - the finishing touch in ancient Suzhou architecture

Su style brick carving is one of the typical representatives of brick carving art in the south. It was more typical and simple in the Ming Dynasty. , the Qing Dynasty, especially after Kangxi and Qianlong, developed and improved greatly, forming its own exquisite and elegant decorative style, known as the "Show of the South". It is worth mentioning that most of Suzhou's brick-carved gate tower steles are inscribed by celebrities. The exquisite calligraphy and elegant brick carvings often complement each other, adding a bit of a bookish atmosphere to Suzhou's brick carvings. Suzhou once had more than 200 brick-carved gatehouses from the Ming and Qing dynasties, but unfortunately most of them were destroyed by the wind and rain of history. As modern people's aesthetic taste returns to ancient art, gatehouse brick carvings are once again loved by people. Many modern buildings and residential buildings also like to decorate gatehouses with brick carvings.

2. The ascetic who is obsessed with the art of brick carving

Liu Yiming said that like an ascetic, he walked a "road of hundreds of flavors." Although brick carving is an ancestral craft, Liu Yiming has been exposed to stone carving, wood carving and jade carving for more than 20 years since he started working. He has also done research on art design, carving technology and ancient architecture. He does not really focus on brick carving. many.

Until a few years ago, a Taiwanese businessman asked him to design a residential garden. The brick carvings on the gatehouse and waterside pavilion were difficult to complete because there were no craftsmen. In desperation, Liu Yiming had to play the knife himself. As a result, Taiwanese merchants are very satisfied. At this moment, he felt that as a graduate of the Brick Sculpture Major of the Art College, he had the heavy responsibility of rescuing and repairing the brick carvings of the gate towers of ancient buildings on his shoulders.

In early 2000, he registered and established the Kowloon Brick Carving Art Research Institute. From the day of its establishment, Liu Yiming embarked on a path of search. In the first half of 2000, he traveled across most of China, observing brick carvings in classical buildings in various places, especially ancient villages in Anhui, Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and collecting relevant information on the spot. Over the past few years, he has collected thousands of pictures and materials of brick carvings on gate towers across the country, which has greatly enriched his creative vision and space. In order to understand those "antiques", he made friends with local commentators or old teachers, monks, and Taoist priests. He also copied representative ancient brick carvings from various places and took them home for further study. Through repeated observations and research, he understood the connotation of the organic combination of tradition, customs and culture of the times in brick carving art.

3. The folk treasures are dazzling

Liu Yiming said that compared with the brick carving artists who worked hard for many years in ancient times, his workshop has some more modern technologies. Bricks are the key to brick carving. In order to produce smooth and delicate bricks, he also set up a small adobe factory, conducted hundreds of experiments, constantly adjusted the shrinkage rate and mud formula, and obtained hundreds of scientific data. He also explored the secrets of more than ten processes including mud selection, mud draining, aging, baking, and polishing. Although modern machines are used in some procedures, Liu Yiming still follows the traditional process. He said that a large part of brick carving is still done by hand, and the more delicate the parts, the more difficult it is to carve, such as the face of a character. The predecessors were very smart. They used quicklime and glutinous rice soup to increase the flexibility of the green bricks for easier carving. Only Suzhou artists could carve the green bricks so finely. In recent years, Liu Yiming has been immersed in the world of brick carving art. Together with other artists, he has created thousands of brick carving works, including more than 170 pieces in more than ten categories including classical figures, dramas, flowers and birds, landscapes, animals and auspicious pictures. There are many styles, and the main works include "Eight Immortals", "Ten Deer", "Three Brothers in Peach Garden", "Yutang Wealth" and "The Romance of the West Chamber". At the 4th China Arts and Crafts Exhibition, his "Guan Gong Reads the Spring and Autumn Period at Night", "Farming and Reading Pictures", and "Flower and Bird Screen" won silver and bronze awards respectively.

As Liu Yiming's reputation for Su style brick carvings gradually increased, customers came from near and far. He successively received projects for ancient buildings such as Changshu Weng Tong Memorial Hall, Xingfu Temple, Shanghai Yu Garden, and Shanghai Ancient Elephant Hotel. Order contracts for repairing and building new brick gatehouses and more than ten places.

The "Suzhou Jiulong Brick Carving Art Research Institute" has also hired several professors and experts, and the brick carving products have also registered the "Shijingyuan" trademark.

Liu Yiming said that he would use his own hands to let the blood of traditional craftsmanship flow in his works and let the brilliance in his memory shine again!

4. Exhibition style of giant brick sculptures at the World Heritage Conference

Liu Yiming’s masterpieces presented as gifts to the World Heritage Conference held in Suzhou include "Prosperity of Suzhou" and giant brick sculptures on the screen. "Splendid Suzhou" and the giant brick sculpture "World Heritage Memorial Wall".

"Prosperity of Suzhou" is a masterpiece handed down from generation to generation by the court painter Xu Yang of the Qing Dynasty, depicting the customs of Suzhou during the Qianlong period. As a gift to the World Heritage Conference held in Suzhou, Liu Yiming led 30 technicians in the institute to carefully carve it into a brick version of "Prosperity of Suzhou", which was collected by the Ancient Museum of Suzhou Urban Planning Museum.

"Splendid Suzhou" is also known as the "Prosperity of New Suzhou". "Splendid Suzhou" erected in the form of a screen wall uses the scattered perspective technique of Chinese painting to blend figuration and abstraction, combined with the art of brick carving. The language is infused with a modern decorative style that is flat and symbolic. On a large painting of 55 square meters, the modern Suzhou style from Jinji Lake in the east to Taihu Lake in the west is included in the painting. The ancient villages of Taihu Lake and the scenery of the mountain and stone lake above are all included in the painting. , the ancient city area, Huqiu Tower, Suzhou High-tech Zone and the industrial park are vividly depicted in the painting. Liu Yiming led more than 20 brick carving technicians from the Kowloon Brick Carving Art Institute to complete the carving task ahead of schedule after three months of continuous work. The total cost 291 gold bricks.

The brick carving part of the "World Heritage Memorial Wall" consists of 32 rectangular gold bricks 71 cm long and 55 cm wide. The carvings on each gold brick are independently painted, using the scattered perspective of Chinese painting. The technique and high relief craftsmanship have been used to carve out 29 world cultural heritage sites in China including the Forbidden City and the Great Wall, including Suzhou Canglang Pavilion, and the two major musical arts of Kun Opera and Guqin. Heritage experts from various countries participating in the World Heritage Meeting were all amazed when they saw Liu Yiming's brick carvings. The World Heritage Memorial Wall will be an eternal carrier, used to record and pass on a history worth remembering forever, and will always remind people: cherish history, protect heritage, and inherit culture.