Chinese craftsman creates inside painting works (9)

Wang Ziyong (R) introduces inside painting works at a museum featuring inside paintings in Taocheng District of Hengshui City, north China's Hebei Province, Sept. 1, 2021. Inside painting, or inner painting, is a traditional Chinese art form. It originally involves tiny snuff bottles which have pictures and calligraphy painted on the inside surface of the bottle. Snuff bottle paintings are produced by manipulating a specialized brush through the neck of the bottle. The process of painting, which is totally reversed inside the bottle, requires absolute precision from the artist. Wang Ziyong, 52, an inside painting craftsman, studied inside painting with his father Wang Ruicheng since childhood. After graduating from college, Wang returned to Hengshui City and devoted himself to the artwork. Thanks to years of practice, he quickly developed his own style. In order to better paint the color highlights and handle details, Wang developed a new type of brush, which improved the drawing efficiency. He also developed different styles to create inside painting, not only inside snuff bottles, but also inside pencil vases, crystal balls, tea sets and folding screens. In 1995, he gave up the traditional workshop-style production mode of inside painting and established a modern enterprise, integrating development, design, production, processing and sales of the artwork. In 2003, with the help of his father, Wang founded a museum in Hebei themed on inside paintings, showing the historical development and creative process of the art. In 2006, inside painting was added to the list of national intangible cultural heritages. In 2012, Wang Ziyong was named the inheritor of provincial intangible cultural heritage projects. During all these years, Wang has won many prizes with his innovative artwork, and offered training to 38 apprentices, trying to make this traditional skill shine a new light. "I hope more people can feel the charm of Hengshui inside painting in the future," Wang said. (Xinhua/Jin Haoyuan)