With swift brushstrokes and splashes of ink, the elegant forms of jade phoenixes seem to come to life on the rice paper. On December 19, 2023, Liaoning International Communication Center visited Shenyang Normal University to host the cultural exchange event known as “Artistic Painting of Hongshan Culture”. Students from Tajikistan, Japan, South Korea, Jordan, Iran, Palestine, and other countries studying in Liaoning were invited to use traditional Chinese painting techniques to depict the jade phoenix, a typical artifact of the Hongshan culture. The event aimed to deepen their appreciation for the artistic value of Hongshan cultural artifacts and enhance their understanding of the genesis of Chinese civilization.
The jade artifacts from the Hongshan culture period possess artistic characteristics of simplicity, decorative beauty, and symbolic elegance. Among the numerous extraordinary burial objects unearthed at the Niuheliang site, a jade figurine and a jade phoenix found within a tomb chamber stood out. The jade phoenix, housed in the Niuheliang Site Museum, is carved from yellowish-green jade, depicting a reclining phoenix with a curved neck, round eyes, hooked beak, high crown, warty nose, and upward-sweeping feathers, exhibiting exquisite craftsmanship.
Exploring the cultural significance of jade artifacts and the ancient people’s reverence for totems, and delving into the evolution of ink painting genres, teachers from the School of International Education and the School of Fine Arts and Design at Shenyang Normal University took the jade phoenix as the central theme, gradually unfolding the historical scroll of the Hongshan culture.
During the demonstration of Chinese painting techniques, the teacher named Yin Yuming said, “When painting the feathers of the phoenix, the brush should be slanted; when drawing the beak and tail, the brush should be held upright. At the end, outline the phoenix’s bright and piercing eyes with the ‘finishing touch’.” After adding color to the phoenix, Yin Yuming gently moistened the brush, suspended his right wrist, and lightly tapped it with his left wrist, allowing water to drip slowly to create a misty effect. Then, he used a sheet of rice paper to absorb excess moisture, and a painting of a majestic traditional Chinese ink painting of jade phoenix with a sense of antiquity was completed.
Subsequently, each international student took two sheets of rice paper to practice their painting skills. Rather than strictly copying the jade phoenix, they incorporated their observations and imaginations into their artwork. Some aimed for realism, while others captured the essence, simplifying the lines and experimenting with various colors. Lin Minze, a South Korean student, shared, “I have seen this jade phoenix at the museum, and it is green in color. So, I use green pigments, hoping to capture the image and spirit of the jade phoenix.” Ghada, a Jordanian student, chose her favorite color, purple, to reinterpret the jade phoenix. She expressed, “Seeing is believing. I must visit the Niuheliang site in the future and see this jade phoenix with my own eyes.”
