At the beginning of 2017, the Naze Naze series was officially launched after three years of preparation. It was the first phase of BCAF’s Chinese New Folk Craft: Dulong People Arts and Craft Aid Project. From 2014 to 2015, several research projects were organized, and followed by a series of training programs and production in 2016.
Dulong People Weaving "Rainbow"
Dulong people are an ethnic group. They form one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by China.
Local Dulong Scene (2015) by BCAFBeijing Contemporary Art Foundation
Most local lives in the Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture of Yunnan in the Derung Valley of Gongshan Derung and Nu Autonomous County. Some can be found east of the Dulong valley, living in the mountains above the Nu River (Salween River) near the village of Binzhongluo in northern Gongshan Derung and Nu Autonomous County.
Dulong people with tatooBeijing Contemporary Art Foundation
Dulong people speak the Derung language, one of the Sino-Tibetan languages. Their language is unwritten; in the past the Derung have transmitted messages and have made records by making notches on wooden logs.
As shown is a local woman with traditional tatoo.
Local Church at Dulong CommunityBeijing Contemporary Art Foundation
As shown is a church in the local community. Some Dulong people have converterd to Christianity.
Local Dulong Youth (2015) by BCAFBeijing Contemporary Art Foundation
Local young people in traditional Dulong blanket are dancing.
Dulong youth weaving (2015) by BCAFBeijing Contemporary Art Foundation
A local woman is weaving by traditional methods.
Dulong blankets (2015) by BCAFBeijing Contemporary Art Foundation
Dulong blanket is a traditional cloth of Dulong People, mainly composed of colorful stripes.
The New born of Dulong People
At present, local women who are willing to learn and participate in weaving are losing. We hope that through the BCAF new folk arts project, suitable successors from young people would learn and inherit the tradition, bringing new hopes for local hometown and national culture by blending in the more advanced production methods such as technology and management.
BCAF meeting with Dulong peopleBeijing Contemporary Art Foundation
In 2015, BCAF, klee klee, Yunnan Foundation for Youth Entrepreneurship and Employment and UNDP organzied an investigation team to go deeper into the Dulong River, visit the Dulong community, and carry out a one-week preliminary investigation.
Dulong Women in Shanghai (2015) by BCAFBeijing Contemporary Art Foundation
On March, 2016, Klee Klee invited 2 Dulong women to studio in Shanghai to conduct fabric experiment. After a-month experiment and training, they brought innovative design back to their hometown.
Dulong People Weaving (2018) by Dulong peopleBeijing Contemporary Art Foundation
Dulong women were trained in Shanghai.
Dulong peopleBeijing Contemporary Art Foundation
A lot of local women indicated their willingness to participate in the project and the first phase of Naze Naze project recruited 12 local women.
Dulong female weaverBeijing Contemporary Art Foundation
Dulong female weavers
Dulong female weaver Ding Chunfang
Dulong female weaver Ding Xiulan
Dulong female weaver Kong Jihua
Return Visit to Dulong Community (2018) by BCAFBeijing Contemporary Art Foundation
BCAF launched a return visit to Dulong community. After three years, local facilities and living condition have been greatly improved.
Return visit to Dulong Community (2018) by BCAFBeijing Contemporary Art Foundation
The new-constructed bridge
Innovative design product exhibition
The basic living facilities and conditions of Dulong community are constantly improving, and BCAF is pleased to see the growth of local women in this project. Dulong community is remote from cities and the road is not smooth, so there is a "7-day material transport, 7-day weave, 7-day blanket transport" process. The project has successfully completed its third phase in 2018. In 2018, the manual cost of each naze naze dulong blanket was 420 yuan, and the skilled workers received a fixed salary of 2,000 yuan per month. In the production process, Dulong women can earn an average of 2,000-10,000 yuan.
The exhibition of First series naze naze product (2017)Beijing Contemporary Art Foundation
The product of Naze Naze first phase was released in January 2017. With the cooperation of the designer and local female weavers, the first phase of Naze Naze project has developed a total of 10 colors. Twelve women completed 60-bed fabric. The Klee Klee team designed and produced 155 cushions, 13 large blankets, 24 small blankets, 2 customized cushions, and 13 cloak products.
Naze Naze product phase IBeijing Contemporary Art Foundation
As shown is some product of Naze Naze I.
naze naze product IIBeijing Contemporary Art Foundation
The Naze Naze second phase product was released in January 2018, with 24 recruited women to participate in the project. The output of the Dulong project phase 2 doubled. The design team has developed 8 new color schemes and retained two color schemes from the Phase 1 project.
Handicraft by Dulong people (2015) by Dulong peopleBeijing Contemporary Art Foundation
As shown is the second phase product.
Handicraft by Dulong people (2015) by Dulong peopleBeijing Contemporary Art Foundation
The Naze Naze Phase 3 product was released in January 2019. This year's Dulong blanket has added color green and purple, and 7 rainbow colors have been included up to now. The new dulong blanket is woven with softer and more elegant stripes and color blocks, which seems calm and quiet.
Naze naze product IIIBeijing Contemporary Art Foundation
The third phase includes tote bag and short skirt.
The First Dulong Innovative Design Competition ExhibitionBeijing Contemporary Art Foundation
In 2019, the first Dulong innovative design contest was held in Yunnan.
Dulong product Innovative design exhibition (2020)Beijing Contemporary Art Foundation
30 outstanding works were in the final selection.
Dulong product Innovative design exhibition (2020)Beijing Contemporary Art Foundation
At the beginning of 2020, Klee Klee released Naze Naze phase 4 product and works of first Dulong innovative design contest was exhibitied in Shanghai.
naze naze product exhibition IIBeijing Contemporary Art Foundation
In addition to style and color innovation on previous traditional products, phase 4 includes tote bag and tissue box.
Naze naze product IV by BCAFBeijing Contemporary Art Foundation
As shown is the fourth phase product.
You are all set!
Your first Culture Weekly will arrive this week.