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Peking Opera mask maker Zhao Yongqi
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Zhao was an apprentice to Liu Zengfu, a famous mask maker and authority on Peking opera. |
Zhao Yongqi said, "I didn't draw well at first. The facial features could only be vaguely distinguished, which, of course, was far from enough. After that, the dressing room of a theatre became my regular haunt, where I learn from Peking Opera masters how and where to draw and to apply color. These face-to-face instructions came in handy in my later drawings. "
Peking opera favorites like the righteous Bao Zheng, and heroine Mu Guiying are also part of Zhao's repertoire of masks.
But his love of the art doesn't just stop with his passion.
Many years ago, Zhao set up this factory to begin producing masks for the tourist trade.
It's really a workshop much more than a factory.
Every mask is hand made.
Each detail is unique.
As an artist and businessman, Zhao believes the masks can only come to life if they're handmade.
There are no mass assembly lines here.
And the devotion Zhao has to his trade is matched by that of his workers.
Zhao's passion for the masks goes beyond making them.
He also wants to write about them, and reproduce them in prints.
So, he's planning a book, to introduce his craft to a bigger audience.
Zhao Yongqi said, "I've been gleaning books and pictorials on Peking Opera masks for years. The cream of the crop, like the five schools of masks - Jing, Hao, Hou, Qiu and Qian - needs further classification. Opera masks of the Hou school rarely appear on stage nowadays, but these will go into my upcoming book to spread knowledge about this art."
Zhao was an apprentice to Liu Zengfu, a famous mask maker and authority on Peking opera.
To improve his understanding of the art, Zhao spent hours with many of the great Peking Opera masters, like Mei Baojiu, Zhao Mengli and Tan Yuanshou.
And today, Zhao spends much of his spare time designing new masks.
For him, the priority now is to promote the art and take his creations into the lives of many more people.
Zhao Yongqi said, "My factory is the first and only one in China devoted solely to producing opera masks. With the meagre earnings from the factory, we recently established a specialized website to promote this art. I love this profession and want to hand it down, and at the same time, I'm always hoping that more and more people will come to love it. "
