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Endowing Form, Molding the Soul The Heavenly Mystery of Jade's Destiny
Wang Yuanhua once said that the jade within stone could set an entire mountain range ablaze with light, and the pearls within a river could brighten all of its waters. Yet uncut jadestone, whether in a mine or in the Gobi, is nothing more than a stubborn rock. Even when carved, in the hands of an unskilled craftsman, it is still nothing more than a decoration or plaything. For a master like Yuan Jiaqi who delights in expertly crafting large Gobi and mountain spring jades, there is a sense of divine destiny and mutual accomplishment in his relationship with beautiful pieces of jade. Jade gives him his expressive medium, and he endows jade with aesthetic form and a cultural soul, making its beauty eternal. In a time when no one cared about turquoise jadestone, he carved his Pilgrims on Wudang Mountain, winning the national "Greatness Cup" prize. With an average piece of Hetian jade, he carved the peerless Buddha's Grace Illuminates All, astonishing the East. In his hands, this sort of miracle is a common occurrence. It calls to mind the unique natural endowment of all master artists. They possess a sensitive soul and an eye that is keenly attuned to beauty. They transform the mysteries of nature and beauty into art, which in turn becomes a new cultural tradition and molds the soul of society. They must examine and refine their subject's emotions in the most extreme. They must endlessly pursue innovation in form. They must be able to take their own inborn wisdom and talent as their target, all to leave their historical legacy to civilization. Michael Landmann said nature only leads man half of the way; the other half is up to man himself to finish. Karl Marx said, "By thus acting on the external world and changing it, he at the same time changes his own nature."The path of the Master is carved out of stubborn stone. The Master's value lies in the eternal luster of his radiating jades.
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Endowing Form, Molding the Soul The Heavenly Mystery of Jade's Destiny
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