Travelogue: Iron Painting | China News Center

Iron Painting: Bamboo, Wuhu Art Factory, Nov 8, 2011. [Photo/CRIENGLISH.com]

In Wuhu, Anhui, there is a special art form known as Iron Painting, which enjoysa history of more than 300 years. But these are not paintings at all, but just pieces of iron heated and then bent and manipulated into lines and shapes. The final pieces fit together to form pictures that resemble paintings.

The final product is striking since unlike a traditional painting, Iron Paintings are three-dimensional. It seems they twisted and grew from the background like vines. The depth and physical presence of the iron wires make the art form memorable and unique.

Today, a group of journalists from CRI visit the Wuhu Art Factory, where a myriad of”iron paintings” were on display.

One piece of work depicted the image of a horse, and due to the unique features of iron paintings, the horse appears to come alive like a living spirit, jumping towards its audience.

Another “painting” in the factory stretched from the floor to the ceiling in height and resembled a bamboo tree. The construction of the artwork is one of the most valued of all the treasures on display since the three-dimensional patterns of the branches and leaves look intricate and detailed in nature making them delicate.

However, the factory is not just an exhibition hall, but where master craftsmen create these works of art. The masters created the Iron Paintings using the same techniques as their ancestors in the field with the only difference today being that they use modern equipment.

First, they heat a strip of iron using a foot pedal to power the tool. Next, they hammer the strip into a particular shape and use pliers to stretch and alter the iron to fit it into the painting. They use a real sketch as a blueprint, and fit the pieces of iron together to recreate the image in the sketch. Finally, after months of inspired labor, the incredible artwork is completed.

A Craftsman Making Iron Paintings at Wuhu Art Factory, Nov 8, 2011. [Photo/CRIENGLISH.com]

Iron Painting: The Beauty, Wuhu Art Factory, Nov 8, 2011. [Photo/CRIENGLISH.com]

CRI Reporter Jonathan Filming Iron Paintings at Wuhu Art Factory, Nov 8, 2011. [Photo/CRIENGLISH.com]

Tags: Anhui, news

This entry was posted on March 13, 2012 at 4:58 pm and is filed under Anhui News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.