She made the world's first life-size copy of the
Terracotta
Warrior .
It was in 1979. Today, Wang Qian evokes this historic sculpture with the same passion that animated it more than forty years ago.
At 79, the designer speaks enthusiastically about her most recent terracotta replicas and her reproductions of figurines from the world of music and dance, which she has brought back to life based on documents representing the originals which had been looted or damaged, by analyzing the descriptions given in ancient texts and drawing inspiration from fragments found in museums.
“Look at this rider. She has a truly astonishing presence and she stands on her horse with such confidence, such elegance
,” says the artist, pointing to one of the figurines, remarkable for its resolute posture.
With her team, Ms. Wang created more than a hundred characters between 2015 and 2020 and shaped 350 pieces in total, breathing new life into a lost art and culture of China.
Around ten replicas were exhibited at the end of October for three months in Xi'an, in Shaanxi province.
Despite her expertise in artistic crafts, Ms. Wang concedes that reproducing ancestral works in terracotta is not easy.
“The procedure is complex and demanding.
Whether it is preparing the clay or shaping, molding, cooking, coloring or aging, each step must be carried out with precision and care
,” she explains.
Terracotta figures fell into disuse during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) and many original techniques disappeared in the process.
It was a great loss for Chinese culture.
A set of figurines from the world of music and dance created by M QIN FENG / CHINA DAILY
“The reproduction of characters from the world of music and dance is not limited to the faithful copying of physical forms, it is also a means of perpetuating and promoting traditional culture
,” comments Ms. Wang, who during the The last four decades has developed a whole set of techniques adapted to the reproduction of painted terracotta sculptures – some small, others large.
She duplicated more than 6,000 pieces during this time.
For her, painting on terracotta is subject to the same constraints as the actual making of the figures – it is an art that takes shape after repeated examination and observation.
A passion that is passed down from generation to generation
Ms. Wang was born into an artistic family.
His father, Wang Ziyun, was a renowned painter and sculptor, recognized as a pioneer of the modern Chinese fine art movement.
He had studied sculpture in France in the 1940s then returned to China where he campaigned for the creation of professional teams specializing in art archeology as part of the action taken for cultural preservation, to which the Ms. Wang's mother also participated.
Influenced by her family, Wang Qian quickly nurtured a passion for promoting cultural heritage.
After studying at a fine arts school in Xi'an, she worked as a researcher at that city's Beilin Museum for more than twenty years – during which time she produced thousands of terracotta replicas – before taking up her post. retired in 2000. In 1979, she created the world's first reproduction of a life-size terracotta warrior, which caused a sensation in China and abroad.
His works have been chosen by China to be given to heads of state, including former French President François Mitterrand, and have won numerous awards.
In 1995, the series of dancers from ancient China in terracotta won him the Gold Prize at the 44th Eureka Salon in Brussels, causing unprecedented enthusiasm for Chinese culture.
Terracotta figurine representing a young girl on horseback exhibited in Xi'an.
QIN FENG / CHINA DAILY
“Figurines from the world of music and dance provide a visual representation of the social life and aesthetics of ancient China,”
said Ms. Wang.
She believes that these ceramics are part of traditional Chinese heritage and culture and as such, it is essential to preserve and promote them.
She organizes visits to various museums for many students to allow them to observe works from different periods.
She explains their characteristics, analyzes and compares their particularities and their production techniques.
“I pass the baton to my students, it is up to them to preserve cultural heritage and raise awareness of culture,”
concludes Wang Qian.
“
I wish to bring together my forty years of experience in a book and interpret the history of music and dance of ancient China based on the terracotta figurines painted in such a way as to ensure the sustainability of the traditional techniques which allow them to be created.
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