Master craftsman speaks visual language

Filigree inlay expert keeps cultural heritage of imperial art alive through sculpting and teaching, Yang Feiyue reports.

Walking into Yuan Changjun's studio in northwest Beijing's Changping district, a large silver statue of a celestial maiden playing a reversed pipa, a four-stringed Chinese lute, in a flying motion catches visitors' attention.

"The statue was inspired by the iconic Dunhuang murals in Gansu province. It's not a direct replication, but a reinterpretation," says the man in his 50s who has practiced filigree inlay for over three decades.

"The face is modern — contours, expression, and hairstyle, which speaks today's visual language," he adds.