The wonderful furniture made by Han Jianxian has appealing, sinuous lines. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
An artisan of wood furniture for more than 20 years, Han Jianxian says he endows his furniture with its own spirit.
Han was born into a family of artisans, with his father and grandfather having earned a reputation in Suzhou for their skills.
When he was 15 years old, his father urged him to start making furniture.
Although Han was initially none too passionate about the business, he showed a gift for furniture that made him stand out from other apprentices. Two years later, Han was attracting business all by himself and he rapidly went on to make his first pile of money, which helped focus his mind about exactly what he wanted.
Han went on to master the most traditional techniques, learning along the way about theory of furniture making.
By his twenties, he had grown into the most popular furniture maker in local area.
However, the artisan was still not satisfied with his achievements. He wanted his furniture to have a spirit and he carved patterns which could endow the furniture with fresh vitality.
In his quest, Han embarked on a second path to learning. From Suzhou's history and traditional Chinese paintings to ancient music, he spared no effort in seeking out inspiration from traditional culture.
Critics say that all the efforts have been paid off in the form of the exquisite furniture he has made and is making.
Nowadays, however, there is a different worry. The master is concerned about passing on the skills and traditions of the ancient handicraft.
Han believes that to promote traditional handicraft requires artisans to be bold and to take the initiative in popularizing the attractions of the ancient art.
Han himself practiced the idea by participating in a provincial competition—as a springboard to show his glorious Suzhou–style furniture to many more people.
