Blue bricks and black tiles, horse-head walls, flying eaves, and ornate windows, flowing with the ink fragrance of a picturesque village. Entering the studio of the art teachers at Anhui Wuxi Middle School’s Arts and Sports Center, these large-scale models of Huizhou architecture stand here, transformed into a beautiful landscape by the skilled hands of the art teachers.
Every day, the teachers in this studio are busy and lively. To allow students to experience the charm of traditional Chinese architecture up close, the art teachers have embarked on a creative journey of “dialogue with time and space”—creating miniature ancient buildings.
Before us, a series of miniature architectural models, intricately carved and beautifully crafted, each with its own unique characteristics, retain the original features of ancient architecture while incorporating appropriate creative designs based on the actual conditions of the models. All these works are created by the art teachers at Anhui Wuxi Middle School’s Arts and Sports Center. The initial phase of each project requires in-depth research on the target buildings through field investigations and online resources. To create the models, it is essential to conduct repeated measurements and consult historical materials, as well as to collaborate as a team, striving for precision and detail. Throughout the creative process, the teachers have invested great enthusiasm and have also felt the unique charm of traditional Chinese architectural culture.
Huizhou architecture is a representative of the architecture in southern Anhui. After years of field investigations and data collection, the teachers have brought the buildings from the mountains into the classroom, creating a refreshing atmosphere that makes one feel as if they are in an ancient village in southern Anhui. The realistic handling techniques create a sense of ancient elegance and a rich spatial experience, with careful attention to color matching and staging, showcasing the teachers’ creative ingenuity.
Through their practice, the teachers hope to help students gain a deeper understanding of traditional architectural design methods and aesthetic meanings, enhancing students’ practical abilities during their middle school years. This immersive expression of local culture in physical models aims to inspire students’ maximum potential. Both teachers and students can deeply integrate the excellent traditional Chinese culture into the construction of art majors and talent cultivation programs. This allows students to better understand outstanding traditional culture while also enhancing their creative design abilities.
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The teachers continuously observe, think, and experiment, discovering that raw materials can be found everywhere in life. Turning waste into treasure has become one of the joys of creation. Foam boards, XPS boards, acrylic paints, as well as wooden boards, MDF, crepe paper, light bulbs, soil, sand, cardboard, putty powder, white latex, tweezers, sandpaper, knives, rulers, and other tools and materials are used in combination for production. To achieve a more realistic effect, turning “waste” into treasure, decorations from candy boxes can be used on door handles, making them mini and cute. The textured middle layer of printed paper boxes is perfect for making roof tiles, and after applying a layer of acrylic, it can be made to look very realistic. Dried flowers and branches can also be put to good use. Collecting a bunch of small stones and gluing them with white latex can create a new shape. In the eyes of the teachers, these “waste materials” from life are treasures that can be utilized.
Chinese ancient architecture has a long historical tradition and brilliant achievements. How can we reflect this in our teaching? Thus, the art teachers began to boldly experiment, exploring creative teaching models that infuse innovative spirit into the classroom. The original intention of creating miniature buildings is to develop a distinctive school-based curriculum, exploring how to recreate classic ancient architecture with miniature models and pass on its splendid cultural heritage. By disseminating the design and production of miniature landscapes in the classroom, students can understand the “roots” of traditional Chinese culture and recognize the importance of traditional culture. Through art classes and hands-on experiences, students can enjoy the joy of building ancient architectural models, intuitively feeling the descriptions of ancient architecture in the texts and further understanding some important characteristics of ancient Chinese architectural art, deeply appreciating the essence of traditional Chinese architectural culture.
The teachers take the initiative and then bring it to the classroom. Thus, every day from 8 AM to 11 AM and from 2 PM to 5 PM, the art teachers’ studio becomes a “popular check-in spot”. As long as there are no classes, this group of teachers gathers in the studio to create.
Completing a miniature landscape work takes at least half a month, and sometimes three to four months. The most time-consuming part is the on-site investigation. When teacher Luo Huilin created the first work, the South Gate Tower, he spent several days on-site to better restore and present it, recording and observing every detail. To make a good miniature version of ancient architecture, one must be prepared for two things: passion and perseverance.
Every item here is processed using the most realistic materials after repeated comparisons. The teachers carve the designs of the ornate windows into wooden boards, creating windows that are very realistic. The ancient buildings produced are a true reflection, and because they present a sense of age, they become even more moving.
Technically sophisticated, artistically exquisite, and uniquely styled, Chinese ancient architecture is an important part of our ancient brilliant culture. Although they are just models, they are like miniature history books. Through this method, students can revisit the historical culture of our country, igniting their patriotic enthusiasm and national pride.
This unique attempt has sparked the creative enthusiasm of the art group teachers and has received high attention and strong support from the leadership of Anhui Wuxi Middle School.
Miniature art not only trains students’ hands-on abilities but also encompasses elements of art, structural studies, general technology, and culture. In the future, we also hope to create a batch of famous ancient buildings from across the country and local old buildings from Liu’an, arranging relevant courses to help students understand the reality and beauty of art, planting seeds of beauty in their hearts, and guiding some students towards an artistic life, helping them meet their best selves!
Text and images: Wu Li
Editor: Yu Zongfang
Proofreader: Yang Man
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