Zong Baiyi's main experience

Baiyi Zong, 1933, born in Yixing, Jiangsu, is a member of China Arts and Crafts Association, a consultant of Changzhou Arts and Crafts Association, and the president of Changzhou Zongbaiyi Colored Velvet Painting Academy. He studied painting with his father who opened a studio since childhood. /kloc-joined the army at the age of 0/6 and worked as a dancer in the army art troupe. Later, he worked as a photographer for Xinhua News Agency and People's Daily successively, and published a large number of pictures and works of art. 1962 returned to Changzhou and opened a studio in Dongjie. 1963 transferred to Changzhou Institute of Arts and Crafts to engage in the artistic design of random needle embroidery. In the meantime, I followed Ms. Yang Shouyu, the founder of random needle embroidery, while designing and learning embroidery. He is quick-thinking, studious and has a strong desire for artistic creation. He learned a lot of knowledge and skills about industry and beauty, which laid a good foundation for his artistic creation.

Chinese name: Zong

Mbth: Zong Yibai

Nationality: China.

Place of birth: Yixing, Jiangsu

Date of birth: 1933

Occupation: artist

Representative works: Qi Baishi

Main achievements: Won the International Dragon Culture Gold Award in 2000.

The life of the character

/kloc-one afternoon in 0/972, when Zong Baiyi was passing South Street, he saw a pile of velvet and cashmere scraps piled up in a second-hand goods exchange, which were randomly mixed together. The colors are very bright and rich, which suddenly aroused his creative passion. So, he immediately spent a few cents to buy a large bundle of silk "silk", and after returning home, he separated them one by one according to color. But there are only 10 colors, so it is difficult to meet the color requirements of painting. So he tried to cut "silk" into velvet with a wire brush, and after overlapping these velvet, he got endless colors. He chose "cat" as the creative content of his works, and considered choosing ceramic plates as the carrier of his paintings. After many arduous experiments, the colorful velvet painting "Cat Plate" was successfully trial-produced. Because Baiyi Zong has a deep foundation in fine arts, photography and random needle embroidery, his colorful velvet painting design combines the techniques of western painting, so it was later called "Oriental oil painting".

Zong Baiyi's colorful velvet painting has become a kind of folk art with strong national characteristics in China after nearly 40 years of continuous innovation and development. His works have participated in dozens of exhibitions at home and abroad and held solo exhibitions in Shanghai, Jiangsu and other places. Major newspapers, TV stations and other news media have carried out special reports, and have also been commended and rewarded by relevant departments of the state, province and city. Its product 198 1 was selected by the National People's Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC) as a national gift for distinguished guests of various countries; 1984 won the second prize of "Hundred Flowers Award", the highest national arts and crafts award; 1988 was awarded the "Best Product Award" by the organizing committee of the first "Purple Gold Cup" folk art exhibition and evaluation competition in Jiangsu Province; From 65438 to 0995, Zong Baiyi was awarded the title of "First Class Folk Arts and Crafts Artist" by UNESCO and China Folk Writers Association. In 2000, he won the International Dragon Culture Gold Award; In 2003, his portrait work "Qi Baishi" won a special honor award in Yixing "Jiangxu Cup" excellent tourist souvenir exhibition.

Ten years of glory is just a flash in the pan.

In 1970s and 1980s, the handicraft market in China was blank, people's living standard was not high, and the market space of Chinese painting, oil painting and other calligraphy and painting works was very small. After the invention of Zong Baiyi's colorful velvet painting, it attracted wide attention from all walks of life. At the beginning of its establishment, his colorful velvet paintings were relatively simple and rough, and the varieties of colors were relatively single. Products mainly include cat tray, dog tray, flower and bird tray and so on. The price is very cheap, and it is the first choice for home decoration and shopping gifts. From 65438 to 0975, colored velvet paintings began to be put on the market in batches, and soon the sales volume increased greatly, which was in short supply. In order to meet the needs of the market, we have set up a factory to produce, and our products sell well all over the country, and some of them are sold to the United States, Japan, France, Singapore, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia and other countries and regions.

Later, after years of exploration and innovation, Zong Baiyi's colorful velvet paintings have developed into landscapes and portraits, and the craftsmanship has become more and more refined and elegant. In addition, he also designed the frame type and hanging type on the basis of the disc, which improved the decorative function of the colorful velvet painting. As a result, the colorful velvet painting, a work of art with strong China national characteristics and blending Chinese and Western arts, has truly become a kind of China folk arts and crafts with novel form and mature technology, which is appreciated and loved by people. At that time, because of the good market sales of colored velvet paintings, counterfeit products appeared one after another all over the country. According to incomplete statistics, workshops and manufacturers in many parts of the country are copying and producing colored velvet paintings, especially in a Samsung township in Haimen County, Jiangsu Province, where there are dozens of factories with an annual output value of several million yuan.

From 65438 to 0985, the market sales of colored velvet paintings began to decline. The reason is that all kinds of fake products have disturbed the market, and these fake products have damaged the reputation of China colored velvet paintings. On the other hand, Zong Baiyi did not continue to design, produce and innovate new products after being transferred to Shanghai Institute of Arts and Crafts in 1982, and lost the market. In order not to ruin the folk craft of colored velvet painting, which is known as "the first in China", Zong Baiyi raised funds by himself at 1988 and established "Changzhou Zongbaiyi Colored Velvet Painting Research Institute". Because everyone else is in Shanghai, he can only run an office part-time and rely on his second son to support him. Later, his second son returned to Shanghai for re-employment, and Zong Baiyi struggled to maintain his research with his pension. Since the 1990s, the colorful velvet painting, which was once all the rage, has gradually shrunk and never recovered. At present, the production of colored velvet paintings is almost stopped, and it is rare in the market.

No successor is on the verge of extinction.

Baiyi Zong has hundreds of apprentices in Jiangsu and Shanghai. Since 1995, Zong Baiyi has also started a training course on colored velvet painting in Changzhou University for the Aged, each lasting 2 to 3 years, and * * * has held three courses. Since 2003, the colorful velvet painting class was suspended and resumed in 2006. The reason is that only social effects have no economic benefits, and too much energy is invested, which hinders the design and research of new products.

The development prospect of colored velvet painting and its technology should be promising. With the improvement of people's material living standard and the growth of spiritual and cultural life demand, colored velvet paintings still have a broad sales market in China. Colored velvet painting products are not expensive. Small-sized animals and zodiac paintings only cost tens of yuan, while medium-sized landscape and figure paintings only cost several hundred yuan. There is a market that can be accepted by consumers, but there is no production. At present, the development of colored velvet painting is worrying and seems to be on the verge of extinction. The reasons are as follows: First, Zong Baiyi, who is only 79 years old, fought alone and could not get strong support from all walks of life. Although he has made some innovations in colorful velvet painting techniques and designed and produced some exquisite works of art, he can only participate in some exhibitions, but he can't produce them and put them on the market. Second, lack of funds. To organize production and train successors, capital investment is needed. At present, the source of funds is only Zong Baiyi's meager pension. Zong Baiyi trained a large number of talents in the past, but now they have all changed careers. Colored velvet painting has no successor and no market pioneer. Third, the lack of innovation, the current handicraft market can be said to be varied and dazzling. If there is no innovation in a handicraft, it always follows that pattern, which will be boring after a long time. If it is not recognized by consumers, there will be no market. Multicolored velvet painting needs to solve a series of problems if it wants to gain new vitality, bloom again like a flower and get out of the predicament.

Cultural status quo

At present, Baiyi Zong has set up a colorful velvet painting exhibition in Dijing Random Needle Embroidery Studio of Huaxia Art Expo Park, and his colorful velvet paintings are hung on the wall. He hopes to use the platform of Huaxia Art Expo Park to promote his colorful velvet paintings, and imagine combining tourism with manual experience, so that tourists can spend 1 2 hours making colorful velvet paintings themselves and experience the unique artistic charm of colorful velvet paintings. In addition, Baiyi Zong's greatest wish now is to vigorously cultivate talents, select successors, and be pragmatic and suitable for doing this. Recently, he is actively preparing to open a colorful velvet painting training class in Huaxia Art Expo Park to promote this folk craft. At the same time, I also hope that interested companies can invest and cooperate with him to create more colorful velvet paintings that meet the market demand, which can be mass-produced and occupy a place in Changzhou handicraft market.

We believe that with the attention and protection of the state and relevant departments, and with the support of the vast number of art lovers and collectors, colorful velvet paintings will surely thrive and develop healthily, and once again bloom more magnificent brilliance in the "craft hundred flowers garden".