Dunhuang, An Important Place Along The Ancient Silk Road, "Shows" Art

How to tell the story of Dunhuang with silk, an important town along the ancient Silk Road? For more than 20 years, Fan Yanyan, a Chinese silk artist, "painted the Dunhuang murals into silk scarves", making the images that originally existed only in the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes murals go global and become an important window for the world to understand Dunhuang culture by virtue of the carrier of silk art.

"Every piece of my work has a story, and behind every story, there is my understanding of Dunhuang culture and my perception of life." Fan Yanyan integrated these cultural symbols into his work design, and through exquisite lines and rich colors, the unique charm of Dunhuang cultural symbols, such as Feitian, Jiuse Deer, and Caijing, was vividly displayed.

In August 2023, Fan Yanyan (third from the right) held an art exchange with the Indonesian delegation. (Information picture) Picture provided by the Publicity Department of Dunhuang Municipal Party Committee

In 2000, after graduating from Xi'an Academy of Fine Arts, Fan Yanyan went to Dunhuang to study Dunhuang culture. For more than two years, Dunhuang murals and sculptures have given her the softest and most beautiful touch in her soul, and also inspired her to tell more people about the beauty of Dunhuang and the beauty of traditional Chinese culture. In 2002, Fan Yanyan, who worked as an art designer in a silk scarf import and export company in Beijing, had an inspiration one day: "Why not use silk to tell the story of Dunhuang?"

In Fan Yanyan's opinion, the soft but tenacious texture of silk is just like the gentle and tenacious character of Chinese people. At the same time, silk is an important witness of the millennium Silk Road, which carries countless legends and spirits of Chang'an, Dunhuang and the world. Therefore, she chose silk as the carrier to further cultivate the culture and history of Dunhuang, opening a deeper artistic relationship with Dunhuang.

In 2009, Fan Yanyan founded the brand and launched hundreds of patent designs with the theme of Chinese traditional culture and the Silk Road culture, covering multiple series such as "Dream Dunhuang", "Dream Chang'an", "National Ritual Customization", "Meet Central Asia", as well as dozens of categories such as clothing, handmade original, silk and silk leather goods, household goods, etc.

"Silk is only the carrier of culture, but what is beyond people's sight is the promotion of culture and the inheritance of spirit." Fan Yanyan's excavation and refinement of Dunhuang cultural elements is not a simple copy, but a recreation after in-depth research and understanding. For example, drawing on the color system of Dunhuang frescoes, ingeniously using traditional colors such as blue stone, green stone, cinnabar, etc., to integrate the flying posture, exquisite patterns of caisson and other elements into art design.

The picture shows Fan Yanyan (first from the right) introducing silk scarves to foreign guests. (Information picture) Picture provided by the Publicity Department of Dunhuang Municipal Party Committee

In her "Dream Dunhuang" series of works, there are more than 120 original patent designs, involving many elements in Dunhuang grotto art, such as flying dance, architectural artifacts, mural stories, etc. Lotus patterns, honeysuckle patterns, flying patterns, flame patterns and other artistic patterns can be seen everywhere, telling the beauty of multi cultural integration and interaction along the Millennium Silk Road with patterns development and changes in different periods, Build a time-space aesthetic feast with culture.

In his work "Freedom", the flying image on the silk scarf retains the charm of flying ribbons and lightness in the murals. Through modern design techniques, colors and lines are optimized to make the flying image appear to be dancing out of the silk scarf.

In addition to silk scarves, Fan Yanyan also designed umbrellas, pillows, jewelry and other cultural and creative products. In the jewelry field, Fan Yanyan designed the world's first necklace made of silk. The design inspiration of the necklace comes from the murals of Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang. From color to pattern, every detail contains profound Dunhuang culture. Fan Yanyan has also invested in ingenious design in many fields, such as Gaoding clothing, classic bags, business gifts, etc., and embedded Dunhuang cultural elements, becoming a powerful medium for the international dissemination of Dunhuang culture.

The picture shows Fan Yanyan working in the studio. (Information picture) Picture provided by the Publicity Department of Dunhuang Municipal Party Committee

Over the years, Fan Yanyan has been invited to hold art exhibitions and cultural exchanges in more than 20 countries and regions. More than 300 batches of foreign guests from more than 60 countries and regions have visited the "Fan Yanyan Silk Art Center".

"Telling about Dunhuang with silk is not only a way of inheriting culture, but also a way of presenting tenacious and magnificent cultural vitality. For example, the ruins of the Silk Road at the 'Two Passes' and the majestic beauty of Yadan contain endless treasures waiting to be excavated." Fan Yanyan said that in the future, she expects to present these rich and diverse Dunhuang elements and spirits one by one through her own design, and meet the world, Let the world see a more complete and colorful Dunhuang through dialogue with the world.

(Source: China News Network)