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Xiao Dehui is a 2022 undergraduate student of the College of Creative Design, who entered SCNU at the age of 28. He and his team's volunteer project was approved as a special demonstration project under the Guangdong Province's “Beneficial Seedling Program”.
Xiao Dehui is honored with an award.
Go through difficulties in study with a strong will
As an art student who loved painting, Xiao Dehui firmly believed that he was “a painter for life”. Once, Xiao was seriously injured in an accident, his hands were pierced by steel bars, and he could no longer lift a brush to paint. During his long recovery, Xiao considered giving up painting countless times. But in 2021, he found that he had recovered better than expected, and then he regained the courage to prepare for the exam.
In order to bridge the gap between years of unsystematic study, Xiao taught art at a training institute, while using his spare time to review his academic classes. Early in the morning, he got up to read in preparation for the upcoming college entrance exam. In 2022, Xiao came to SCNU and deepened his artistic understanding through his professional studies in fashion and design, as well as through exchanges with his teachers.
Xiao shows off his costume design work “Moment of Eternity”.
In the Fashion Design course, Xiao created his most satisfying piece of work “Moment of Eternity”. Inspired by the epiphyllum, a genus of epiphytic plants in the cactus family (Cactaceae), also known as orchid cacti, he decided to finish the work. However, he then found that the whole production process was complex and the production process of the core element, the epiphyllum, became a great challenge. After several attempts, Xiao set his sights on crocheting, which can produce three-dimensional objects. He asked his classmates for advice on crocheting techniques, patiently learned from them and completed the crocheted flower by himself.
During his time at SCNU, Xiao gradually developed a love for mural painting. After class, he often went to see Li Qise, the dean of the School of Creative Design, to ask for his knowledge of Chinese painting and to think about the possibility of combining Chinese painting with mural painting. When he encountered problems with his mural designs, he also sought advice from his teacher Lu Rui, learned how to use board drawing software to accurately measure walls, and discovered new ways to efficiently create his first designs.
Using the paintbrush to depict the charm of the countryside
Xiao paints the wall in the countryside.
At first, Xiao was just interested in painting walls in the countryside. By chance, he was agreed by local villagers to paint a wall with his accompanying paints and painting tools. Later, more and more villagers praised and publicized his exquisite wall paintings, and many visitors came to take photos in front of the wall paintings. Xiao gradually realized that he could contribute to the cultural tourism of Shanwei. He decided to go where he was needed and discover the beauty of rural culture.
Xiao Dehui introduces his project.
In 2022, he formed the “Brush Painting Rural Landscape” practice group and gathered young people at the Shanwei campus who love painting and volunteering. Now the team has 20 members from different majors and three instructors from the Self-knowledge Academy. In order to balance the relationship between his study and public welfare, Xiao studies during the day and drives to the countryside to draw wall paintings after classes in the evening. Often a wall painting takes him half a day and he goes back to school with his painting equipment in the early morning.
The villagers send him fruit and try to persuade him to rest. But Xiao says painting murals is his favourite thing to do, and he doesn't feel tired or thirsty when he is painting. After the painting is finished, he watches the villagers proudly explaining local culture to visitors on the wall, which makes Xiao feel that his work is meaningful.
The group photo of Xiao's team.
Xiao's team also designed clothes for the Shanwei volunteers that were full of cultural elements. They have provided high-quality classes for the Marine Police Bureau fighters and rural villagers, helping more people to understand the culture and experience mural painting. "Many places in Shanwei don't have the opportunity to promote themselves, and we can make a contribution. I want to leave something behind for Shanwei during my college years, and that's why I'm doing this," Xiao says.
Sow painting seeds in both the village and SCNU
Xiao Dehui takes a photo with local children.
Whenever Xiao goes to the countryside to draw wall paintings, the fun and colorful paintings often attract local children. The children ask him questions about painting knowledge and often show their love of his paintings. Xiao always tirelessly interacts with the children. “Seeing so many children enjoy my paintings, makes me really happy.” Xiao not only teaches to the children how to paint colors, but also lets them pick up brushes and dip them in paint to experience wall painting. As a result, he has become one of the most popular “king of children” in the countryside.
Xiao is coloring a wall painting about SCNU.
Xiao also painted the stone pier for the 90th anniversary of the founding of SCNU, and drew wall paintings for the close-up of the four campuses of SCNU to promote the construction of the campus. During his time at the SCNU, mural painting for public welfare gradually became part of Xiao 's daily life. In the future, he would like to spend more time actively participating in social welfare. Xiao also plans to teach young people who are enthusiastic about volunteering and love the art of mural painting, thus promoting the development of public art.
Source from SCNU News Center
Translated by Xiao Ruiyi, Zhu Ying
Proofread by Edwin Baak
Edited by Li Jianru
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