Traditional art depicts modern industry

The discolored artwork with a portrait on it deeply captivated her, she said. Her mother told her that it was a precious wheat-straw painting passed down in her family, maybe created by her grandparents.

"At that moment, I imagined that one day I would be able to create such works," she said.

In 1988, Song became an oilfield worker at Daqing oilfield and participated in artistic activities organized by her unit, such as paper-cutting. She also created simple wheat-straw painting works using her own ideas.

"The design and painting of wheat-straw paintings are similar to traditional paintings, but creators must consider the natural grain of the wheat straw, which can display colors through the brightness and direction of the light produced after cutting and pasting."

Although the production process is cumbersome, it can reflect artistic value.