Behind all these glossy art pieces lies Ding Anhui's assiduous desk work. He has accumulated a well thumbed library through his comprehensive research into the variety of roles and functions, ritual and ceremonial, which jade has played in China.
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There're also works depicting various animals.
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Another of his endeavors sometimes puts him at some risk, scrambling around mountains in search of exquisite raw jade. Ding Anhui has made a circuitous hunting odyssey. Over the years he traveled to the Hetian County in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, reputed to contain some of the world's finest jade. He went to the deserted virgin forest of Yunnan Province and to the Baikal Lake area in Russia to collect his raw material.
Before setting to work on new artistic creations, he would head to the various historic sites around China to find inspiration.
Ding said, "I always feel that I fall short of that profound artistic and cultural attainment that is part of the rich history of our nation. So, I should head to the magnificent mountains and rivers to edify and refine myself. That way, I won't be ashamed when later generations appraise my artistic creation.
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| "Three Saints of Huayan" |
His efforts have finally come together into Ding Anhui's magnum opus. The work is called "Three Saints of Huayan". It depicts three Buddhist figures, one Buddha and two Bodhisattvas. The work won him the "Heavenly Craftsman" Award, China's highest honor for craftsmen. Since it was created, the work has become a dream piece for collectors all over the country.
Ding said, "To me, jade is my life's partner because I'm fascinated with the cultures inside it. It has greatly influenced China and me and is sure to influence our posterity. Its aesthetics and idealistic connotations have been deeply engrained in the mind of every Chinese."
(CCTV August 24, 2008)
