The art of seal cutting

Seal cutting is a unique art form in China that has a history of more than 3,700 years. Chinese literati, writers and stamp makers in past dynasties all devoted great work making new chapters of seal cutting. Seal cutting combines calligraphy (mainly seal writing) with engraving (including chiseling and casting), creating a unique art form of Chinese characters. In 2009, Chinese seal cutting was listed in the "Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage" by UNESCO.

Photo taken on Mar. 6, 2022 shows Su Donghe, the inheritor of seal cutting, carving in Beijing, China's capital city. (Wang Wei/Guangming Picture)

Su Donghe, an inheritor of intangible cultural heritage of seal cutting in Beijing, has studied seal cutting since childhood under the guidance of famous calligraphers and seal cutting artists such as Chen Zuohuang, Jiang Weisong, Han Tianheng, etc. His works mainly focus on ancient seals such as fine Zhuwen seal and Jiupai seal. After years of study, he devoted himself to innovating and spreading seal cutting culture, developing seal cutting with the times, and striving to create seal cutting works that are more in line with modern aesthetics.

Photo taken on Mar. 6, 2022 shows Su Donghe, the inheritor of seal cutting, carving in Beijing, China's capital city. (Wang Wei/Guangming Picture)

Seal cutting demands delicate process. Generally, you can only start when you've finished illustrated it in mind. While people needs a ruler to draw a straight line, and Su Donghe can manage to do it without. After the pattern is painted, the engraving starts. There are generally more than a dozen tools for engraving, which are used in different processes.

Photo taken on Mar. 6, 2022 shows Su Donghe, the inheritor of seal cutting, carving in Beijing, China's capital city. (Wang Wei/Guangming Picture)

Seal cutting must be completed with proper knife method. If you are not familiar with using a knife, you can't carve a successful work. A good knife method pays attention to the stability of the knife and the clarity of the knife. It not only requires the integration of seal cutting and composition, but also seeks subtle changes in the details. In addition to the knife method, you should be consistent with your heart and hands, and feel the texture of the stone and the changes in the process when the seal gradually being completed while cutting. The sense of knife, hand and mind are interlinked, which can endow this square-inch world with unique artistic life.

Photo taken on Mar. 6, 2022 shows Su Donghe, the inheritor of seal cutting, carving in Beijing, China's capital city. (Wang Wei/Guangming Picture)

The layout is as dense as nature itself. Once the seal cutting is finished, the seal should be stamped out. This step is called "sealing". The role of seal is to check whether the seal achieves as expected. If defects are found, it is necessary to modify the cutting. Under the condition of retaining the knife method, the strokes of the seal that do not conform to the original intention are modified, and finally the most perfect seal stamp is made.

Photo taken on Mar. 6, 2022 shows Su Donghe, the inheritor of seal cutting, carving in Beijing, China's capital city. (Wang Wei/Guangming Picture)

However, up to this step, a seal is not finished. It is still necessary to engrave the margin for it. The margin content generally includes chapter name, time and signature, and the seal and margin complete each other, which is a double sublimation of artistry and appreciation for the seal.

Photo taken on Mar. 6, 2022 shows Su Donghe, the inheritor of seal cutting, carving in Beijing, China's capital city. (Wang Wei/Guangming Picture)

In recent years, many seal cutting works of Sudonghe have been collected by many museums or memorial halls at home and abroad. Meanwhile, the inheritors of the third generation have begun to study and innovate under the guidance of Su Donghe. Seal cutting skills are constantly being passed down and developed. Culture is like a long river, and art is like a mirror. For thousands of years, generation after generation of creative seal carvers have made seals of their own colors, conveying the charm of Chinese culture through seals and paintings.

Photo taken on Mar. 6, 2022 shows Su Donghe, the inheritor of seal cutting, carving in Beijing, China's capital city. (Wang Wei/Guangming Picture)