Lu Jiazhong, a redwood carver in Taicang, was recently selected as a local talented person in Jiangsu province.

Lu is a member of both the China Arts and Crafts Association and the Shanghai Arts and Crafts Association and has also been named a senior artist and craftsman in Suzhou.

Although he has so many grand titles, his workshop is still just a small room on a bustling street stacked with one working table and four cabinets.

Lu Jiazhong, a redwood carver in Taicang, was selected as a local talented person in Jiangsu province recently. [Photo/WeChat account: taicangdaily]

How did he take a fancy to wood carving?

"When it comes to my job, we must mention my father," Lu said. "We were quite poor when my father was a child; so he decided to learn a craft to earn a living and that was redwood carving."

Influenced by his father, Lu became attached to the craft as a child. He used to observe how his father used the tools and asked him many questions. As soon as he finished middle school, he took a job as his father's assistant.

Lu mastered the essence of everything from basic flat surface carving to rilievo and stereoscopic carving, and became increasingly more famous in local areas and across the country.

Lu's Lucky Calabash carved from red sanders is the favorite of many collectors. [Photo/WeChat account: taicangdaily]

Many of his works have been collected by collectors from Singapore, Canada and other countries, and have also won awards at China's arts and crafts fairs.

The redwood carver studied wood, stone, ivory, and bamboo carvings to create a brand new full three-dimensional style to make his works more desirable and collected.

Take the Lucky Calabash carved from red sanders for example. It integrates flat and three-dimensional carvings as well as a perspective technique. Several small calabashes are linked to the opening of a larger one with chains, meaning prosperous offspring.