Under the guidance of Mr. Wendao, those small wooden blocks that look rough and dull and lifeless are vividly presented one by one through description, sawing, knife cutting, polishing and fine sand, with their own body temperature and feelings, full of their own thoughts and feelings, which makes us fondle admiringly.
0 1. Childhood feelings
1987 In July, Liu Jian was born in an ordinary rural area in Lu Xian County, Sichuan Province.
My father is a carpenter. When I was a child, I saw my father "saw the edge with an axe, looked sideways with one eye, followed his heart with a skillful hand and drew with a square chalk line". I turned logs into pieces of wood squares and made furniture, doors, windows, buckets and other things. I think every gesture is full of magic.
There is also my grandfather, who uses bamboo grown at home as raw material and two knives as tools to chop edges and cut strips, weaving many daily necessities similar to handicrafts. In Liu Jian's eyes, these common handicrafts in rural areas are always so beautiful and leave a deep impression on people. When he was very young, he followed his grandfather to make bamboo combs and weave baskets. Other children think it's hard work, but he enjoys it.
Before entering high school, Liu Jian was a "problem of juvenile", active and naughty. He is obsessed with online games and is not greedy for learning. Every parent-teacher conference embarrasses parents. Later, they didn't attend any parent-teacher conferences.
In the first grade, the school held a half-day interest class every week, and the art teacher took him in and gave him the initial art enlightenment. Here, he first mentioned the brush strokes of Chinese painting. During the summer vacation, he also went to the teacher's house to study with his son.
When I was in the senior high school entrance examination, I had to go to a "sky-high" high school because I missed 2 points. That day, at the school's payment office, Liu Jian saw his parents repeatedly count 2000 yuan bills one by one, and then handed them to the toll collector in exchange for his receipt for entering high school. There is a strong sting in Liu Jian's heart: my parents have hardships, but I am ignorant of chaos. What a rebellion!
Since then, in the three years of high school, Liu Jian has been a vigorous freshman.
Because of his interest in Chinese painting, he chose high school art class. After accepting a broader field of painting, I realized that art is not only Chinese painting, but also sketches, colors and sketches involved in the college entrance examination. Being particularly sensitive to modeling, I put more energy into sketching.
Three years later, Liu Jian became the top student in culture and professional courses from the last poor student when he entered school. In 2006, he was admitted to sichuan fine arts institute Printmaking Department with excellent results. When choosing a major, I really don't know what the printmaking department is studying. Where is the future direction? Just thinking that you can paint it on the board is consistent with your deep love.
Liu Jian, who entered the university, is like a fish yearning for the sea. He came to the wider waters, enjoyed swimming and learned the nutrients of knowledge. During his college years, he served as monitor and student union cadre for four consecutive years, participated in a large number of social practice activities, and won many awards for his works. In addition to his major, he has almost been to professional courses such as woodcut, pottery, sculpture and stereo. In his own words, these four years are really worth it!
After graduating from college, Liu Jian successfully entered China Banknote Printing and Minting Corporation and became a professional designer.
02. Desire rooted in the heart
"Teacher Wendao" is the QQ name that Liu Jian took when he was in college, and it has been used ever since. "Smelling Tao" means that you are interacting with Tao, expressing your feelings and things, and making your dreams come true; "Mr" means that he will be the inheritor and disseminator of the essence of traditional culture all his life.
His obsession with wood is rooted in the depths of his soul. In his eyes, the waste wood thrown away in life, such as popsicle sticks, takeaway chopsticks, consignment racks, etc. , are the embryonic form of perfect works. An unremarkable piece of dead wood often makes him stop to take a look, and his mind will clearly or vaguely see what it has become, from coffee tables and personality sculptures to bookmarks, hairpins, pins and pendants.
In his view, wood is a living thing and should be respected and cherished. Looking at wood is like a person. Each piece of wood has different textures, as if everyone has a unique personality. Those horizontal, vertical, square and round; Staggered, parallel, radioactive and messy; Charming, rough, deep, shallow wood grain, all with their growth trajectory, hiding endless stories.
It is a harmonious and beautiful thing to get along with wood, feel its breath, give it emotion and temperature, and live with it and the world.
03. Pure as meditation
In order to trace the growth track of logs, Liu Jian came to Fawang Temple in Hejiang in 20 17.
The Fawang Temple was built in the Song and Yuan Dynasties and flourished in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It was the "ten-square jungle" given by Tongzhi in the Qing Dynasty, and the "Fawang Temple" plaque given by Empress Dowager Cixi herself. In order to repay the emperor's kindness, the French King Temple built the Wanshou Pavilion after ten years, offering the imperial edict and funeral ceremony. Since then, this kind of incense has flourished in southern Sichuan.
The temple is surrounded by lush trees and bamboo waves. Red beans, ginkgo biloba, rock red, nanmu and other Woods stand together, and the blue tiles and red walls of the temple are hidden among the evergreen trees, setting off the cornice painting pavilion.
When he came to this meditation place, Liu Jian was attracted by the quietness, nature and purity here, as if the whole person was empty and his heart was quiet.
I don't know if it's a coincidence or an inner call. He met the abbot of Fawang Temple, Master Dexiang, here. They talked a lot, from history, nature and meditation to thoughts, beliefs and carpentry. The master was moved by his heart and provided him with space in the temple, so that he had his own woodworking studio.
In his spare time, he will come here and get along with his favorite wood. The quiet environment and simple life in the temple will purify a person's soul, clean up a person's brain, repair negative emotions and make the whole person empty.
Master Dexiang told him: When you can put down more expectations, just feel at ease in the present, connect with this piece of wood in your hand, and focus on every knife and every poke, you are actually practicing.
In the past two years, whenever he has time, he will drive to the Fawang Temple, stay for a few days and concentrate on making his handmade wood. He said that here, he often feels like crossing. Simple tea, simple cotton-padded clothes, meditation and selfless woodwork are very calm and free and easy.
04. Build a home with love.
The woman in the photo is Li Jiang, Liu Jian's lover. They are high school classmates and are attracted by the same hobbies. They experienced love, got married and had a little daughter. Li Jiang majored in design at the Academy of Fine Arts. After giving birth to the child, she focused on the child. She usually does some planning and design work in the reading club, and also teaches them to draw, arrange flowers and make handicrafts.
Their daughter Liu Ziyu, 4 years old, is a lovely elf. Dancing, painting, making handicrafts and playing the pipa are also her hobbies.
4-year-old children's eyes are always full of all kinds of curiosity, and they will ask many questions, just like a small motor that can't stop. Xiaoyu is good at chatting, and she is also good at chatting. Her chatting ability far exceeds our adults' expectation and imagination of a 4-year-old child.
Li Jiang told me that in the process of accompanying children to grow up, daughters often bring surprises and touches to themselves.
Sometimes, the young couple are a little awkward. Although they cheated on their daughter, she always realized:
Mom, are you angry with dad? Talk to him!
Many times, I think my daughter is also our teacher, teaching us simplicity and letting us put down a lot of things.
In this small family, people can see a model of respect, equality, simplicity and peace. Daughters can call their parents by their first names. Parents try not to restrict their children's thoughts, control their children's behaviors, treat them equally, and let their children grow up freely and happily.
Liu Jian believes that parents should respect their children's nature to the greatest extent and let them grow up in love and dignity. Only children who grow up in an atmosphere of love will have a sense of security and confidence. Therefore, he never slacks off every interaction with his daughter. Even when he is very busy, he will respond as long as it is his daughter's interaction.
Many times, we always give up our dreams because of the cruelty of reality, and we are easily disturbed by complicated things.
For Liu Jian, between survival and belief, the reality once made him somewhat helpless and confused. What he is doing now is not his hobby, but the only way to make a living.
He said: in the face of reality, you must accept and embrace it frankly. But in any case, I will stick to my heartfelt feelings and walk firmly on the road to the distance!