Guilhem Bouissou works on his woodcarving. [Photo/Tide News]
In Dongyang, a county-level city in Jinhua, Zhejiang province, Guilhem Bouissou of France, has devoted over a decade to learning Dongyang woodcarving.
Dongyang woodcarving has a long history that can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Bouissou's approach differs from local artisans; he prefers a spontaneous method, resulting in whimsical creations.
Inspired by a Dongyang woodcarving mural in Hangzhou's Leifeng Pagoda in 2012, Bouissou was captivated by its techniques, sparking his interest in the art. Through a friend's introduction, Bouissou began learning from Lu Tingfeng, a master woodcarver involved in creating the artwork in the Leifeng Pagoda.
"He has unrestrained imagination, which is the best source of artistic innovation. Woodcarving is just a medium for artistic creation; artistic ideas are the soul," said Lu.
Bouissou's woodcarving fuses Eastern and Western art, like a Peking Opera facial makeup woodcarving in his studio. This unique artistic fusion creatively integrates European cultural elements into the traditional Chinese facial makeup.
Having lived in Dongyang for 15 years, Bouissou has grown fond of the city's rich culture. Looking ahead, he said he aims to deepen his knowledge of Chinese arts and culture, with a vision to share this expertise in France, fostering cultural bridges between East and West.
