For over six decades, Dongyang Bamboo Weaving, an intangible cultural heritage item in China, has been at the centre of He Fuli’s artistic life. In that time, He, now in his eighties, has unceasingly refined his skills in the art form, transforming a novice apprentice into a master craftsman. In 2004, He Fuli met the challenge of his career – restoring the bamboo masterpieces kept at Juanqinzhai in the Forbidden City. Thanks to his perseverance and years of hard-won experience, He deployed an array of nearly lost techniques such as Fanhuang bamboo carving and bamboo marquetry to restore the priceless woven bamboo treasures of the Forbidden City to their former glory.
