A jade sculptor's dream

A craftsman's journey from one art to another

Give Lang Xiaofeng a jade stone and he can transform it into a splendid work of art. At his studio in Beijing, Lang was carving a small piece of jade under the light of a table lamp. Around Lang there were many uncut and finished jade sculptures on display.

Lang is a famed jade sculpture artist, and over the past 20 years, he has created several masterpieces, capturing a number of prestigious awards in China.

At Lang's crafts studio in Beijing's Chaoyang District, visitors can find superb jade stone sculptures, from Chinese historic figures to modern Western personages, or animals from a cute toad to an auspicious eagle. These sculptures uncover a life of a traditional jade craftsman unknown to most.

Jade sculpting is an ancient practice steeped in traditional Chinese culture and enjoys a long history of more than 2,000 years. An artist must consider a stone's texture, shape and color before molding it. Often engraved with calligraphy and painting, jade sculptures strive to embody an ancient Chinese essence.

Today, jade is still loved and admired by the Chinese and precious jade artwork is regularly sold at exorbitant prices at jewelry markets. China's jade sculptures are famous worldwide for their exquisite detail. In 2006, the Chinese Government classified many jade sculptures as part of China's intangible cultural heritage.

The only choice

Although Lang has become renowned for his jade work, sculpting was not his initial career choice. He instead developed an affinity for painting early on.

Lang was born in Beijing in 1970. Growing up in the dense cultural atmosphere of the capital, Lang dreamed of becoming a great painter like Qi Baishi (1864-1957) or Xu Beihong (1895-1953). "I was first exposed to painting in primary and middle school. It was then when I believed I could make an impression on the world through painting," Lang told Beijing Review in his studio on August 28.

"I hoped to enter the Beijing-based Central Academy of Fine Arts, the best art university in China," Lang said. "However, I had to choose a different path after graduating from middle school. I failed to pass the high school entrance exam. Then, quite unexpectedly, I was sent to a vocational school by my parents to study jade sculpture. I had to suppress my dream of becoming a painter when I went to the school in 1986."

Four years later, Lang was assigned to work at Beijing Jade Ware Factory as a craftsman. On his first day, Lang told himself that he should shed his desire to paint and focus instead on crafting jade.

"At that time, I had no choice."

Lang gradually changed his attitude toward jade and developed a passion for sculpting on the job. "I began to take immense pleasure in the fact that by using my bare hands, I could turn a piece of stone into a beautiful work of art. I could express my ideas through sculpture," said Lang.