Carving master offers a feast of stone in Beijing

Chen Lizhong, one of the national-level craft art masters of stone carving, brought his recent selection of Shoushan stone works to the National Art Museum of China in Beijing on Nov 30.

Chen Lizhong, a master Shoushan stone craftsman from Fujian province. [Photos provided to China Daily]

More than 150 fine artworks of Shoushan stone carvings, including human figures, flowers and fruits, animals and natural scenery, provided visitors with a touch of Chen’s artistic imagination and outstanding carving skills of this unique stone, which is known as one of China’s best four stones used for carving, and found in Shoushan village in China’s eastern coastal province — Fujian.

Withered lotus, a Shoushan stone carving artwork by Chen Lizhong.

Another masterpiece of Chen Lizhong’s Shoushan stone carving.

Chen, who was born in 1968, has devoted himself to Shoushan stone carving and developed his own characteristics and style for such a craft in the past 30-odd years.

He designs an appropriate image according to the shape and texture of the Shoushan stones, and then begins his creation.

"His collections keep the stones full of life with an innovative combination of traditional crafts and modern art elements, which give people a taste of nature and explore the charm of creativity in these artworks," said Wu Weishan, curator of the National Art Museum of China.

"Chen’s works also interpret his own understandings of nature and art," Wu added.

Chen first displayed his Shoushan stone carvings at the National Museum of China in Beijing two years ago. This is the second time that people can admire Chen’s creations in Beijing.

The exhibition, organized by the Chinese National Academy of Arts, National Art Museum of China and the Fujian Provincial Department of Culture, will last until Dec 10.

If you go

Venue: No 5, 7 exhibition hall, 1/F, National Art Museum of China

Address: No 1, Wusi Dajie, Dongcheng district, Beijing

Open: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm (No entry after 4:00 pm)

Tel: +86 10 6400 1476

Admission: Free