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朱炳仁是中国工艺美术大师、国家级非遗铜雕技艺代表性传人。2006年，一场意外烧毁了朱炳仁倾注心力的作品，却带给他突破自我的契机。在尝试了上百种方法、进行了上千次试验的艰难摸索之后，朱炳仁开拓了名为“熔铜”的新技艺。匠心独运的熔铜艺术不只在国内艺坛享有美誉，也在世界艺术领域掀起了波澜。他的作品扬帆出海，通过展览等文化交流活动让外国观众直观感受到中国艺术家的创造力。
Bronze holds a special meaning in Chinese culture. The Bronze Age, starting around 1700 BC, had a profound impact on the development of civilization in the nation. In our special four-part series, we will follow one of China's most well-known bronze art masters, Zhu Bingren. His innovative ideas have helped to bring new vitality to this ancient craft. In the second episode, we learn about how the artist saw new possibilities for copper from a fire accident, and how he presented his art to the world.
The temperatures soar in east China's Hangzhou in midsummer. But the heat doesn't stop Zhu Bingren from experimenting with molten copper.
With the aid of his team, Zhu pours it onto straw and sawdust and then waits. He's eager to see what shape and texture it will take. Every attempt is different and the results are unpredictable.
Zhu Bingren experiments with molten copper. /CGTN Photo
In fact, Zhu's idea for his molten copper technique arose from an accident.
A sudden fire in 2006 ruined one of his works, but also gave him the chance to think outside the box and push the limits.
When clearing up the site, Zhu was amazed to see the free-flowing molten copper had solidified and formed beads of all shapes and sizes. As the saying goes, "A watched flower never blooms, but an untended willow grows."
The most brilliant ideas often come from trivial events in life.
The epiphany pushed Zhu into repeated experiments. Copper can't remain liquid for long, so it's difficult to work with. After thousands of experiments, Zhu finally figured out the technique through a laborious process of trial and error.
For the artist, the technique also marked a turning point for his art journey. His copper painting "Que Li," which shows a withered lotus standing firm, was his first attempt at using the technique. It is being collected at the National Museum of China, along with antique bronze works.
Zhu said he draws on ancient wisdom for inspiration when creating his innovative bronzeware art. Whenever he visits the National Museum of China, he always lingers in front of the bronzeware from thousands of years ago. Behind every relic there's a story that helps explain the development of this crucial period in Chinese civilization.
This screenshot shows Zhu Bingren's artworks. /CGTN Photo
Zhu's unique vision for bronze art is also attracting overseas attention. At the 2012 Shanghai Art Fair, one of his bronze sculptures inspired by the ancient wisdom of Taoism made heads turn. Visitors were amazed to see a golden wheat field coated with copper.
In 2018, at the invitation of the dean of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp, Zhu embarked on a series of cultural exchange activities. He also hosted a solo exhibition in Berlin, showing Western audiences how this ancient craft could be reinvigorated.
Zhu hopes to show the world more examples of China's storied history and culture as well as the latter's all-encompassing nature.
The idea was fully presented in his large-scale painting "All Rivers Run into the Sea," specially commissioned for the 2021 Boao Forum.
The screenshot shows Zhu Bingren's copper painting "All Rivers Run into the Sea." /CGTN Photo
Zhu is embracing different art forms just like the sea accepts every river.
For him, bronze represents the former glory of Chinese civilization but also modern-day China, with a history so rich and profound, but also bursting with innovation and full of potential.
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