Yang Dongfang, from Jining City, Shandong Province, is a bamboo and wood carver, senior craft artist, and a first-level national technician. He won the Champion of the 13th "Yiding Cup" China Woodcarving Competition. In 2015, he founded the "Dongfang Woodcarving Studio," and in 2016, he established the "Dongfang Bamboo and Wood" brand. Over the years, he has created numerous outstanding works with a wide range of themes, receiving high praise from industry professionals and collectors. His works have won multiple prestigious awards within the industry.
The 15th "Yiding Cup" Woodcarving Skill Competition was grandly held from September 21 to 26, 2024, at the Putian Craft Art City. A total of 42 woodcarving competitors from across the country made it to the finals. This was the third time Yang Dongfang participated in the "Yiding Cup," and he created the work "Great Fortune and Prosperity" during the final competition.
Title of the Work: "Great Fortune and Prosperity"
Description of the Work: The piece is titled "Great Fortune and Prosperity," a play on words that sounds like "Great Rooster and Prosperity." It showcases the expressive brushwork technique of traditional Chinese painting on wood, making full use of contrasts between solid and empty space to create a unique form of expressive wood carving. The exaggerated portrayal of the rooster's sharp expression, as it gazes intently at the praying mantis, vividly captures the rooster’s combative nature.