© DMT Competition
Award-winning Work Information & Description
Work Title
Granny’s Blue Flower Shop
Category
Ethnic Culture
Institution
Shandong Institute of Petroleum and Chemical Technology
Advisor
Sui Hui Di
Team Members
Guan Zuo Meng
Award
First prize in the national competition
Year
2025
Description
Introduction to the works of "Blue Flower Square" in the non-heritage picture book
In the morning fog of Qingshiban Lane, a wisp of indigo fragrance led the newly moved Xiaoyu into Grandma's "Blue Flower Shop". The glimmer of wax boiling in the copper pot, the blue wave moving in the dye vat, and the moment when the wax knife in the woman's hand fell off the cloth, made the craft of "painting blue" take root in her heart.
From the clumsy attempt to hold the unstable wax knife to the secret of "steady wrist and uniform strength" taught by the grandmother, Kohane gradually understood the patience and heart hidden in batik in the practice over and over again. On the old cloth discovered by chance, the vague double carp lines led to the agreement between the old woman and the old man that "the double carp will return to the pond and be reunited", and also made Xiaoyu quietly bury his wish-to use his batik to draw an echo for the old woman's waiting.
With reference to the camellia grain in the pattern book and the memory of the double carp in the old cloth, Kohane's wax knife finally "obeyed. Through the magic of dipping, drying and dewaxing, on the dark blue cloth surface, the white double carp plays in the camellia, as if to swim and bloom in the wind. However, this batik, which carries thoughts and expectations, unexpectedly welcomed the return-the grandfather pushed open the gate and let the reunion agreement in the double carp pattern shine into reality in the sunshine of the blue flower workshop.
The picture book uses Raymond Briggs and Matthias Adolphson's pen watercolor illustrations to connect the complete technical process of batik "pattern painting, dipping and dewaxing". The classic patterns such as peony pattern, palate pattern and double carp pattern are blended with the warmth and reunion expectation of grandparents and grandchildren, so that the intangible cultural heritage technique can flow in the story and the traditional beauty can take root in the heart.