Recently, Zhao Liying collaborated with Shang Cheng Shi magazine for a breathtaking fashion shoot in Fuzhou. In the photos, she exudes unique charm in traditional attire, and the intricately crafted cork painting hairpin on her head is particularly eye-catching.
Fuzhou cork painting, also known as wood painting (craft wood painting) or cork carving, blends carving and painting into one. Alongside Shoushan stone carving and bodiless lacquerware, it is hailed as one of Fuzhou’s “Three Unique Treasures.”
Artisans transform cork from oak bark into miniature masterpieces through material selection, carving, and scene composition. With knives as brushes and wood as canvas, they condense vast landscapes into framed poetry—”mountains spanning hundreds of miles captured within a single frame.”
Cork painting primarily depicts picturesque scenes with themes such as ancient architecture, landscapes, and plants, as well as figures and animals. In terms of form, dynamic and static elements complement each other. While its both hard and soft textures create a vivid Chinese painting-like scene that is delicate yet lively, elaborate yet harmonious, and elegant and refined.
With a gentle touch of the fingertips, paper-thin cork slices come alive under the carving knife – pavilions and terraces stand in harmony, and lakes and mountains unfold like verses. Fuzhou cork painting is hailed as a “silent poem and a three-dimensional painting”.
When traditional intangible cultural heritage meets Chinese fashion aesthetics, everyone can become a storyteller of its beauty! Traditional cork paintings are often displayed as ornaments or screens. The cork painting hairpin worn by Zhao Liying undoubtedly gives this traditional craft a brand-new fashionable expression.
Exquisite cork painting is transformed into fashion accessories. The miniature carvings of flowers, birds, and pavilions in the hair harmonize perfectly with traditional attire, turning the wearer into a living showcase of intangible cultural heritage, bringing its beauty to life.
By becoming part of hairstyles and makeup, cork painting steps out of exhibition halls and into everyday life, becoming accessible lifestyle aesthetics.
Cork painting, an artistic treasure on fingertips, is stepping into people’s lives with renewed vitality. The beauty of Fuzhou’s intangible cultural heritage awaits your discovery.