Inheritor of century-old tradition brings touch of tech to makeup

A young man in Langfang, Hebei province, has found a unique way to blend traditional culture with modern elements by infusing technology into the production of painted masks based on the facial makeup designs used in Peking Opera.

Jiao Xuefeng, a seventh-generation inheritor of his family's facial makeup techniques in Langfang's Gu'an county, said combining them was "both challenging and promising". Recognized as provincial intangible cultural heritage, Jiao-style facial makeup boasts a history of nearly 200 years.

Refined over the years, it has developed a distinctive style by incorporating advanced technology that makes it more vibrant and allows for unique creations.

Born in 1990, Jiao has had a strong interest in facial makeup since he was a child and began learning to draw and create the makeup from his father at the age of six.

In the 2000s, Jiao started to use computers and became an enthusiastic programmer.

He later combined his computer skills with his passion for creating facial makeup, injecting new vitality into the inheritance and development of traditional culture.

One day last month, Jiao was working in his Beima village studio, in the town of Gongcun, carefully painting a mask. After dipping a brush in paints, he delicately applied them to a specially designed facial model, gradually layering colors from light to dark.

After some time, his work yielded the vivid red facial makeup of Guan Yu, a general from the late Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220) known for his courage and faith.

"The batch of masks I was making was custom-made for use as corporate souvenirs and will soon be exported," Jiao said.

He said every mask he creates is first generated as a three-dimensional picture on a computer and then carved using a sculpting machine. "This approach helps produce facial makeup molds that are full and three-dimensional, with clear lines that can be directly painted using a brush," Jiao said.

He added that developing products through modern methods such as the use of machinery and computers allows for more precise molds than traditional ones.

Jiao-style facial makeup is popular because of its innovative creations and has captured about 80 percent of the market in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

In a corner of Jiao's studio are some whole figures with facial makeup.

"In the past, traditional craftsmanship only focused on the facial part, but now, with the use of modern technology, we can present the entire figure," Jiao said.

The headwear, clothing, and even body movements of the characters can be meticulously depicted, conveying the emotions and unique features of the characters, he said.

This combination of tradition and modern aesthetics has made Jiao-style facial makeup highly sought after domestically and internationally.

To further promote the culture, Jiao has kept exploring the fusion of tradition and modernity.

He promotes and sells his creations online and has also ventured into using techniques such as stone carving and bas-relief to depict facial makeup.

He has also developed games, software and toys centered around facial makeup.

"Artistic innovation is the soul of Jiao facial makeup and a new challenge for my generation," Jiao said, adding that young inheritors of intangible cultural heritage need to innovate while preserving tradition.

He hopes to empower facial makeup culture through the use of information technology and scientific advancements, allowing traditional intangible heritage products and culture to be promoted worldwide.