Wong Kar-wai's art project revives an ancient technique
The woodblock series is a fusion of ancient wisdom and modern civilization.
"The Rising Clouds, Blooming Flower," a joint art project initiated by renowned film director Wong Kar-wai and the century-old art brand Duo Yun Xuan, has been unveiled at the Duo Yun Xuan Art Center in Shanghai.
Wong's documentary recording the process in producing the woodblock print series was also premiered.
The project aims to arouse public awareness of the beauty of traditional art and intangible cultural heritage.
To preserve the traditional craft, Wong initiated a collaboration with Duo Yun Xuan to depict Wong's "Blossoms Shanghai" TV series in multi-block color prints.
More than 1,000 years ago, the Chinese invented woodblock printing and later multi-block color printing.
Duo Yun Xuan has reproduced thousands of famous paintings using traditional woodblock printing.
However, traditional craftsmanship is gradually fading in the digitalized modern era.
This series will feature at Duo Yun Xuan's 2024 Autumn Art Auction.
"I wanted to 'wake it up' from the silence of history," Wong said in a short video at the launch ceremony. "Such a woodblock series is a magical fusion of ancient wisdom and modern civilization."
The project took almost a year.
Artist Huang Hai, writer Zhang Dachun, and a team of intangible cultural heritage artisans got together to create the new works by using the traditional craft to ensure its preservation and continuation.
The work is based on two posters in the style of woodblock prints of Wong's television series "Blossoms Shanghai."
From design, material selection, color mixing, sketching, engraving, brushing, and framing, the "The Rising Clouds, Blooming Flower" series is said to be a "contemporary jewel of multi-block color printing."
To preserve them, the woodblocks used to create the series have been sealed, ensuring no further prints can be made.
The series will feature at Duo Yun Xuan's 2024 Autumn Art Auction. Part of the proceeds from the works will be used to support the art education of children in rural areas and to support the preservation and advancement of multi-block color printing, safeguarding this cultural heritage for generations to come.
