Wan Shaojun creates wooden sculptures

Wan Shaojun was born in November 1972 and is chairman of the Yiwu Arts and Crafts Association. As the first Yiwu-born provincial-level master of arts and crafts, he is known as Artisan of Bawu (Chinese: 八婺; lit. Eight Wus—the eight counties in the ancient Jinhua’s jurisdiction).

When speaking of woodcarving, most think of Dongyang. But it is important to remember that Yiwu woodcarving has also developed as a high level of craftsmanship.

The other day, we visited Wan Shaojun Art Museum, which is located in the subdistrict of Beiyuan and displays hundreds of pieces of vivid woodcarving. Hanging on the wall of the museum are four characters written in calligraphy, reading: Remain true to our original aspiration (不忘初心). “This work of calligraphy was given to me by my master,” said Wan Shaojun. He explained that in his 35-year experience of woodcarving, he has always adhered to and passed on such original intention and ingenuity.

In 1987, Wan Shaojun was 16 and went to learn the art of woodcarving in Deqing, Guangdong. Wan recalled that woodcarving crafts at the Canton Fair at that time were favored by overseas Chinese and international buyers; many woodcarving works were exported to Japan, South Korea, and the US, among other countries.

The master takes the disciple through the door, but one’s path must be chosen by oneself; within his apprenticeship, Wan had to figure out and understand many details of the art of woodcarving. In order to learn the best of this craftsmanship, he plunged into woodcarving and practiced till late at night every day. He also traveled both in Zhejiang—Dongyang, Shengzhou, and Chaozhou—and Fujian to learn woodcarving techniques from various places. Looking back on the decades of his creative career, Wan has encountered a number of difficulties and challenges, as well as bottleneck periods, but no matter what situation he was in, he never let go of the carving knife in his hand.

Over the years, Wan has worked hard to unearth the essence of Yiwu’s traditional culture, derive inspiration from the local cultural heritage, and strive to give rebirth to the tradition through his works. Plenty of people turned to Wan Shaojun to apprentice and learn from his art. The Wan Shaojun Art Museum is, in fact, also a practice base for many elementary and middle school students. “I’m very willing to pass on my handicraft to the next generation.”

As chairman of the Yiwu Arts and Crafts Association, Wan Shaojun works as coordinator for member companies and individuals to participate in various arts-and-crafts related events, including the China Arts and Crafts Master Works and Fine Arts Expo, the Zhejiang Arts and Crafts Fair, and the Yiwu Cultural Exchange Expo, among others. In these exhibitions, a total of 479 works from Yiwu were awarded, including 141 golden awards, 167 silver awards, 166 bronze awards, and 5 special awards. (Text and photo bu Luo Hongting, translated by Marco Lovisetto, edited by Mariam Ayad)