Judy's Reflection
Art heals the world.
"Traditional culture" is a word we hear all the time, yet nobody seems to have ever stopped and thought about it. We are constantly reminded of the importance to preserving cultural heritage, but why must we inisit on the holding on to the past, if the only things that could prove its existence are a few bolts of fabric, a few sheets of apper, or a few artistic techniques that are way behind our time?
It was only when I met the traditional artisans did I see the value cultural heritage embodies. Feeling the delicate texture of silk beneath my skin and breathing in the sandalwood fragrance of wood carvings, it was like an intangible concept of culture came to life. Understanding culture is almost like reading Dostoesvky. Through modern lenses, his writing is a madman's rambling; when viewed within the context of 19th cenutry Russia, the sorrow of lower-middle-class families struggling to survive becomes more conspicuous. It's unbelievable for me to imagine how people managed to create exquisite silk fans with their own hands in a time when electricity and machines were far less developed. Each stitich, I imagine, must carried a depth of emotion. There is something so genuine, so sincere, about this kind of artistic creation. Then, when I think of the contemporary artisans who continue to handcraft calligraphy brushes and hairpins, I begin to see what drives their determination to perpetuate these traditions.
Of course, this does not mean traditional art is dead or rigid. We have also discovered that its many evolving forms can not only attract a wider audience, but also bring modern contexts and contemporary emotions into artistic creation.
Culture is a way of experiencing both the past and the present. It makes us acutely aware of one simple truth: humanity has been alive, it is alive, and will be alive.
文化是一种疗愈自我和世界的方式。
传统文化和非物质文化遗产是我们在生活当中经常听到却从未认真在意过的词。我们总是听人强调传承的重要，却似乎很少有人能解释清楚文化的意义所在。不过是几匹布、几张纸、几个落后于时代的创作手法。为什么一定要滞留在过去呢？
然而，当真正见到那些老手艺人，看到他们做出来的文化遗产，手指触碰到丝绸细腻的纹路
、闻到木雕的檀香，那份对于非遗的热爱又自然生长出来了。了解文化就像读鲁迅，如果以现代人的视角去看，只能看到一个说胡话的疯子、而如果带入20世纪初期中国社会的背景，却又能读懂关于一个时代的悲哀。在工业与电气都不发达的过去，人们却能够用双手制作出精美的团扇，每一针都寄托着深刻的情感，似乎这种艺术创作才是最本真赤诚的。而带入那些还在坚持手作毛笔、发簪的现代手艺人，他们传承的意志也似乎早已倾注于玲琅满目的商品之中了。
当然，这并不意味着传统艺术就是死的、刻板的。我们也同样发现，传统艺术多变的形态，不但能勾吸引更多的受众，也能把现代的语境和现代人的情感带入艺术创作之中。
所以文化是一种感受过去和现在的方式。它让我们无比清晰地意识到:我们活着、人类活着。