Shandong artist's burning zeal fashions on gourds

In Shanxian county – situated in Heze city in East China's Shandong province – there resides a talented 67-year-old carpenter named Ma Yanmin.

Ma possesses a special skill – he uses a soldering iron as a pen to craft intricate paintings on gourds, offering a glimpse into his perspective of the world.

The traditional craft is said to have a long history. It originated in the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220) and then faded away before experiencing a revival during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

Ma Yanmin designs a motif on a gourd. [Photo by Wang Xiaolan for chinadaily.com.cn]

With his superb carving skills, Ma not only designs compositions based on the shape of the gourd but also utilizes the varied shapes of the soldering iron head to create different patterns.

By adjusting the temperature of the soldering iron head, he achieves a glorious spectrum of colors – from light yellow and deep yellow to light red and black.

Over the past decade, Ma has crafted nearly a thousand gourd paintings, ranging from sizable 50-centimeter-high depictions of the Chinese goddess of mercy and compassion, Guanyin and the Chinese god of wealth and money, Tsai Shen Yeh, to smaller 3-centimeter-sized series featuring the 12 zodiac animals.

His creations evoke a strong rural atmosphere and embody the artistic charms of Chinese traditional culture. Not only are his works cherished by those around him, but they also attract seasoned pyrography artists, collectors and boutique store owners eager to acquire his pieces. (Edited by Zhou Yunlai)