Finished product gets modern luster

Not only has Wang inherited the techniques but also inherited the spirit to walk the modern path of lacquer art.

Her works are also exhibited at Material Thinking. The series, called The Woman Beheld, reflects a diverse exploration of lacquer — paintings, sculptures and installations. The idea behind her work dwells on the situation of a woman in society being watched, gazed upon and talked about.

She describes building the relationship with lacquer as a "happy and painful" process, as she tries to pull lacquer out of its "comfort zone" — as a decorative coating — to discover more expressions.

She says her efforts and those of other lacquer artists deserve to be shown to the public as an updated rendition of lacquer art.

This is the idea behind The New Crafts, an exhibition that Wang's academy has held every year since 2015. Its sixth installment is held at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing. The lacquer section is curated by Yang Peizhang.

"We show how technological progress has benefited artists, motivating them to develop new techniques and present boundless imagination. We also show the works of artists from Japan, South Korea and Europe to introduce novel ways of presenting lacquer," he says.

"Lacquer art should not only be preserved as handicraft but should also be integrated into the context of modern industries. That would allow artists better career prospects and people with more chances to use lacquer items in their daily lives."