PHOTO / CHINA
Inheritor of Song's dough sculpture carries forward traditional culture
By Xinhua Published: Sep 01, 2024 10:38 AM
Song Zhanke makes a dough sculpture of Chinese mythological figure the Monkey King or Sun Wukong, at his studio in Luoyang, central China's Henan Province, Aug. 27, 2024. The dough handicraft takes wheat and glutinous rice flour as its main building materials, which are mixed with oil, salt, vinegar and other ingredients. Using hands and simple tools, an artist kneads and pinches the dough to turn it into intricate and lifelike figures. Song Zhanke, 46, is an inheritor of Song's dough sculpture, a renowned dough handicraft in Luoyang. Having lived by the profession for 20 plus years, the inheritor believes that the figure's body-head proportion, gestures, and facial expressions hold the key to this craft. It is not only the practice of a skill, but also a pursuit and perception of beauty, Song said. Song hopes that the craft will be better received among younger people and passed down to the future generations. Photo: Xinhua

Song Zhanke makes a dough sculpture of Chinese mythological figure the Monkey King or Sun Wukong, at his studio in Luoyang, central China's Henan Province, Aug. 27, 2024. The dough handicraft takes wheat and glutinous rice flour as its main building materials, which are mixed with oil, salt, vinegar and other ingredients. Using hands and simple tools, an artist kneads and pinches the dough to turn it into intricate and lifelike figures.

Song Zhanke, 46, is an inheritor of Song's dough sculpture, a renowned dough handicraft in Luoyang. Having lived by the profession for 20 plus years, the inheritor believes that the figure's body-head proportion, gestures, and facial expressions hold the key to this craft. "It is not only the practice of a skill, but also a pursuit and perception of beauty," Song said.

Song hopes that the craft will be better received among younger people and passed down to the future generations. Photo: Xinhua


Dough sculpture works by Song Zhanke are pictured at his studio in Luoyang, central China's Henan Province, Aug. 27, 2024. The dough handicraft takes wheat and glutinous rice flour as its main building materials, which are mixed with oil, salt, vinegar and other ingredients. Using hands and simple tools, an artist kneads and pinches the dough to turn it into intricate and lifelike figures. Song Zhanke, 46, is an inheritor of Song's dough sculpture, a renowned dough handicraft in Luoyang. Having lived by the profession for 20 plus years, the inheritor believes that the figure's body-head proportion, gestures, and facial expressions hold the key to this craft. It is not only the practice of a skill, but also a pursuit and perception of beauty, Song said. Song hopes that the craft will be better received among younger people and passed down to the future generations. Photo: Xinhua

Dough sculpture works by Song Zhanke are pictured at his studio in Luoyang, central China's Henan Province, Aug. 27, 2024. The dough handicraft takes wheat and glutinous rice flour as its main building materials, which are mixed with oil, salt, vinegar and other ingredients. Using hands and simple tools, an artist kneads and pinches the dough to turn it into intricate and lifelike figures.

Song Zhanke, 46, is an inheritor of Song's dough sculpture, a renowned dough handicraft in Luoyang. Having lived by the profession for 20 plus years, the inheritor believes that the figure's body-head proportion, gestures, and facial expressions hold the key to this craft. "It is not only the practice of a skill, but also a pursuit and perception of beauty," Song said.

Song hopes that the craft will be better received among younger people and passed down to the future generations. Photo: Xinhua


Song Zhanke makes a dough miniature of armour of Chinese mythological figure the Monkey King or Sun Wukong, at his studio in Luoyang, central China's Henan Province, Aug. 27, 2024. The dough handicraft takes wheat and glutinous rice flour as its main building materials, which are mixed with oil, salt, vinegar and other ingredients. Using hands and simple tools, an artist kneads and pinches the dough to turn it into intricate and lifelike figures. Song Zhanke, 46, is an inheritor of Song's dough sculpture, a renowned dough handicraft in Luoyang. Having lived by the profession for 20 plus years, the inheritor believes that the figure's body-head proportion, gestures, and facial expressions hold the key to this craft. It is not only the practice of a skill, but also a pursuit and perception of beauty, Song said. Song hopes that the craft will be better received among younger people and passed down to the future generations. Photo: Xinhua

Song Zhanke makes a dough miniature of armour of Chinese mythological figure the Monkey King or Sun Wukong, at his studio in Luoyang, central China's Henan Province, Aug. 27, 2024. The dough handicraft takes wheat and glutinous rice flour as its main building materials, which are mixed with oil, salt, vinegar and other ingredients. Using hands and simple tools, an artist kneads and pinches the dough to turn it into intricate and lifelike figures.

Song Zhanke, 46, is an inheritor of Song's dough sculpture, a renowned dough handicraft in Luoyang. Having lived by the profession for 20 plus years, the inheritor believes that the figure's body-head proportion, gestures, and facial expressions hold the key to this craft. "It is not only the practice of a skill, but also a pursuit and perception of beauty," Song said.

Song hopes that the craft will be better received among younger people and passed down to the future generations. Photo: Xinhua


Song Zhanke makes a dough sculpture of Chinese mythological figure the Monkey King or Sun Wukong, at his studio in Luoyang, central China's Henan Province, Aug. 27, 2024. The dough handicraft takes wheat and glutinous rice flour as its main building materials, which are mixed with oil, salt, vinegar and other ingredients. Using hands and simple tools, an artist kneads and pinches the dough to turn it into intricate and lifelike figures. Song Zhanke, 46, is an inheritor of Song's dough sculpture, a renowned dough handicraft in Luoyang. Having lived by the profession for 20 plus years, the inheritor believes that the figure's body-head proportion, gestures, and facial expressions hold the key to this craft. It is not only the practice of a skill, but also a pursuit and perception of beauty, Song said. Song hopes that the craft will be better received among younger people and passed down to the future generations. Photo: Xinhua

Song Zhanke makes a dough sculpture of Chinese mythological figure the Monkey King or Sun Wukong, at his studio in Luoyang, central China's Henan Province, Aug. 27, 2024. The dough handicraft takes wheat and glutinous rice flour as its main building materials, which are mixed with oil, salt, vinegar and other ingredients. Using hands and simple tools, an artist kneads and pinches the dough to turn it into intricate and lifelike figures.

Song Zhanke, 46, is an inheritor of Song's dough sculpture, a renowned dough handicraft in Luoyang. Having lived by the profession for 20 plus years, the inheritor believes that the figure's body-head proportion, gestures, and facial expressions hold the key to this craft. "It is not only the practice of a skill, but also a pursuit and perception of beauty," Song said.

Song hopes that the craft will be better received among younger people and passed down to the future generations. Photo: Xinhua


Song Zhanke makes a dough miniature of Jingubang, the weapon of Chinese mythological figure the Monkey King or Sun Wukong, at his studio in Luoyang, central China's Henan Province, Aug. 27, 2024. The dough handicraft takes wheat and glutinous rice flour as its main building materials, which are mixed with oil, salt, vinegar and other ingredients. Using hands and simple tools, an artist kneads and pinches the dough to turn it into intricate and lifelike figures. Song Zhanke, 46, is an inheritor of Song's dough sculpture, a renowned dough handicraft in Luoyang. Having lived by the profession for 20 plus years, the inheritor believes that the figure's body-head proportion, gestures, and facial expressions hold the key to this craft. It is not only the practice of a skill, but also a pursuit and perception of beauty, Song said. Song hopes that the craft will be better received among younger people and passed down to the future generations. Photo: Xinhua

Song Zhanke makes a dough miniature of Jingubang, the weapon of Chinese mythological figure the Monkey King or Sun Wukong, at his studio in Luoyang, central China's Henan Province, Aug. 27, 2024. The dough handicraft takes wheat and glutinous rice flour as its main building materials, which are mixed with oil, salt, vinegar and other ingredients. Using hands and simple tools, an artist kneads and pinches the dough to turn it into intricate and lifelike figures.

Song Zhanke, 46, is an inheritor of Song's dough sculpture, a renowned dough handicraft in Luoyang. Having lived by the profession for 20 plus years, the inheritor believes that the figure's body-head proportion, gestures, and facial expressions hold the key to this craft. "It is not only the practice of a skill, but also a pursuit and perception of beauty," Song said.

Song hopes that the craft will be better received among younger people and passed down to the future generations. Photo: Xinhua


Song Zhanke makes a dough sculpture of Chinese mythological figure the Monkey King or Sun Wukong, at his studio in Luoyang, central China's Henan Province, Aug. 27, 2024. The dough handicraft takes wheat and glutinous rice flour as its main building materials, which are mixed with oil, salt, vinegar and other ingredients. Using hands and simple tools, an artist kneads and pinches the dough to turn it into intricate and lifelike figures. Song Zhanke, 46, is an inheritor of Song's dough sculpture, a renowned dough handicraft in Luoyang. Having lived by the profession for 20 plus years, the inheritor believes that the figure's body-head proportion, gestures, and facial expressions hold the key to this craft. It is not only the practice of a skill, but also a pursuit and perception of beauty, Song said. Song hopes that the craft will be better received among younger people and passed down to the future generations. Photo: Xinhua

Song Zhanke makes a dough sculpture of Chinese mythological figure the Monkey King or Sun Wukong, at his studio in Luoyang, central China's Henan Province, Aug. 27, 2024. The dough handicraft takes wheat and glutinous rice flour as its main building materials, which are mixed with oil, salt, vinegar and other ingredients. Using hands and simple tools, an artist kneads and pinches the dough to turn it into intricate and lifelike figures.

Song Zhanke, 46, is an inheritor of Song's dough sculpture, a renowned dough handicraft in Luoyang. Having lived by the profession for 20 plus years, the inheritor believes that the figure's body-head proportion, gestures, and facial expressions hold the key to this craft. "It is not only the practice of a skill, but also a pursuit and perception of beauty," Song said.

Song hopes that the craft will be better received among younger people and passed down to the future generations. Photo: Xinhua