LIANG HUANMING 1953—2019
Liang Huanming · Duan inkstone artistOne inkstone,
a lifetime of craft.
Working with the natural grain of Duan stone, Liang carved landscapes, clouds, and dragons with a chisel as his brush.
01 / HERITAGE AND CREATION IN DUAN INKSTONE ART
A world within stone · A hand behind every cut
Liang Huanming at work
Rooted in the inkstone tradition of Baishi Village
Carried forward as an art of stone
01 / SELECTED WORKS
In stone,
a world unfolds.
Liang Huanming's Duan inkstone carvings follow each stone's shape, color, and grain, bringing landscapes, water, dragons, and auspicious creatures into a traditional Chinese craft.
Heavenly Horse and Milky Way Inkstone
The stone becomes a canvas for mountains and rivers.
THREE INKSTONES · 01–03
Explore all three works
See the Heavenly Horse and Milky Way, Auspicious Dragons, and Monumental Water-Cloud Dragon inkstones together.
View all three inkstones
Liang Huanming · At work02 / THE ARTIST & THE CRAFT
Every cut
has a history.
Liang Huanming (1953–2019) was born in Baishi Village, Duanzhou, Zhaoqing, Guangdong. He devoted his life to making, studying, collecting, and passing on Duan inkstones. His work with traditional forms and the restoration of historic inkstones informed personal series such as Water-Cloud Dragon.
A Duan inkstone is a traditional Chinese tool for grinding ink, made from Duan stone and valued for its carving. From selecting and planning a stone to carving and polishing it, Liang's work brings together use, landscape imagery, and craftsmanship. His 'yin-yang double-knife' technique also shaped his depictions of water, auspicious clouds, and dragons.
where time and craft leave their marks.
03 / A CENTURY OF INKSTONE CRAFT
From the Maolong inkstone shop,
to Baishi Village.
According to family records, Liang Huanming's ancestor Liang Yaonan operated the Maolong inkstone shop in Guangzhou during the nineteenth century.
In 1968, Liang Huanming began making inkstones at the Baishi Production Team's Duan inkstone workshop. He later took part in production management and teaching, and was selected to work on the restoration of historic inkstones in Guangzhou. This experience laid the practical foundation for founding the Huaxing Duan Inkstone Workshop in 1986.
04 / THE MUSEUM
Keeping works and skills
in view.
Founded in 2012, the Liang Huanming Duan Inkstone Art Museum preserves and presents works from different periods of his career, historic inkstones, tools, and his workspace. It has also expanded into French ceramics, focused exhibitions, and exchanges between Chinese and French crafts.
A record of craft heritage
Huaxing Duan Inkstone Factory received national designation as a demonstration base for the productive safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage.
Duan Inkstone Art
Liang Huanming's art, Duan inkstone culture, and traditional carving.
Explore the inkstonesSèvres Porcelain Collection
French Sèvres porcelain and related decorative arts.
Temporary Exhibition Gallery
Exhibitions on Chinese and French art and traditional crafts.
05 / A LIVING LEGACY
From Baishi Village
to the wider world.
A timeline connecting family craft, collective production, the works, the museum, and cultural exchange.
According to family records, Liang Yaonan operated the Maolong inkstone shop in Guangzhou.
Born in Baishi Village, Duanzhou, Zhaoqing, where inkstone making was part of daily life.
Joined the Baishi Production Team's Duan inkstone workshop, later taking part in production management and teaching the craft.
Founded the Huaxing Duan Inkstone Workshop to continue making inkstones and passing on the craft.
The Liang Huanming Duan Inkstone Art Museum was founded.
The Huaxing workshop was recognized as a model base for the productive safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage at provincial and national levels.
Exhibited in Paris and demonstrated Duan inkstone carving on site.
A Sèvres porcelain collection space was established in the museum, widening Chinese-French craft exchange.
Work to preserve and revitalize Liang Huanming's former home continues, keeping Baishi Village's inkstone-making memory alive.
06 / VISIT & CONTACT
Visit the museum,
continue the conversation.
For visits, information about the works, exhibitions, or collaboration, please contact the Liang Huanming Duan Inkstone Art Museum.
Floors 1–4 · Zhaoqing, Guangdong, China
LIANG HUANMING · DUAN INKSTONE ART