Wumaier Reheman: Every knife and every moment is ingenious
Knives dancing, sweat dripping, sawdust flying... The patterns and lines on the wood are gradually clear. In mid-September, the author walked into a woodcarving studio in Yaha Town, Kuqa City. I saw Wumaier Reheman, who just turned 50 this year, holding a wooden hammer in one hand and a carving knife in the other, following the lines drawn in advance. The wooden plank in front of him was chiseled. As soon as the carving knife arrived, the sawdust fell, and the original piece of waste wood was brought to life in Wumer's hands. Umayr Reheman is cutting wood. Photo by Liu Xuemei "My father has been making woodcarving for 15 years. I usually help him do it at home. I will pass on this craft, which is a very meaningful thing." Speaking of father Wumaier, Kaidirdan Wu Buyer said that his father was not good at words, but when he talked about woodcarving, his eyes shone. The woodcarving skills of the Uyghurs have a long history. With the improvement of living standards, more and more people begin to use woodcarving works in the decoration of their own buildings. Driven by interest, Wumaier, a woodworker, devoted himself to the study of woodcarving. He specially bought a professional book on wood carving, scrutinized it carefully, and accumulated experience bit by bit. After years of practice and creation, Wumaier's woodcarving skills have become more and more proficient. The strength of the waist sinks, the right arm leans forward, and the right hand grips the carving knife with force. One chisel and one chisel, small objects need to be chiseled thousands of times to form. Larger works require Wumaier to work more than 10 hours a day and take about half a month to complete. "You should always pay attention to hand-carved woodcarving. One less knife will greatly reduce the three-dimensionality and roundness of the work." Wu Maier said. Wu Maier said that the quality of a wood carving work is related to many factors, and the raw material is the most important foundation. Wumaier's works use walnut, poplar, willow, etc. produced at the foot of the Tianshan Mountains. These woods are tough and high-strength, and are suitable for making woodcarving works. In his spare time, he always selects wood from various places, and then personally checks the procedures such as cutting, natural air-drying, and slicing. He considered drawing based on wood. After years of accumulation, he was able to skillfully and accurately draw engraving drawings according to his needs, and then covered the drawings on the wooden board, hollowed out the excess parts, and then carved them carefully. Under the knife of Wumaier, some inconspicuous branches and roots are endowed with artistic value. With the advancement of technology, Wumaier also kept pace with the times and purchased some power tools. The upgraded wood carving tools, coupled with its unique carving skills, make the carved works more exquisite. Nowadays, many merchants come here especially to come to Wumaier's house to find him to make furniture, decorations, handle pieces, etc. The woodcarving works made by him are decorated in many corners of tourist attractions in Guangzhou and Shanghai, and more and more Through him, people learned about the charm of traditional handicrafts. Correspondents Deng Lijuan Liu Xuemei