Flying Apsara: Gem in the World's History of Painting

Flying Apsara: Gem in the World's History of Painting Hang Yuan In the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties (which lasted from 220 to 589), when Buddhism was first spread in some Asian countries, the Flying Apsara “in the murals were also called Feitian.” Later, as Buddhism became more prominent in China, the flying gods and flying immortals of Buddhism were integrated with each other in artistic images, especially in traditional drawings and paintings. The Dunhuang Feitian represents the “flying gods painted in the Dunhuang Grottoes and later became a particular term for Chinese Dunhuang Murals Art” (Wikipedia, 2022). This art is a cherished piece of Chinese culture and history and continues to be celebrated throughout the eras into the modern age.

Dunhuang Feitian “lasted for more than a thousand years until the end of the Yuan Dynasty (1271 to 1368) and disappeared with the completion of the Dunhuang Grottoes” (Houseal, 2022). During this long history of more than a millennium, there have been changes of dynasties, “the transfer of political power,” the evolution as well as prosperity of the economy, the frequent exchanges of Chinese and Western cultures, “artistic image, posture and artistic conception, style, and taste of Feitian. Different eras and artists have left generations with divergent types and characteristics of Feitian” (Liang, 2022). Dunhuang Feitian has shaped “a unique history of evolution and development” (Houseal, 2022) for over a kiloyear.

In terms of artistic image, “Dunhuang Feitian is not a creative image of culture but a complexity of multiple cultures. Although Feitian's hometown is in India, Dunhuang Feitian was born out of Indian culture, Western culture, and Central Plains culture” (Zhang, 2022). It is a Feitian with Chinese cultural characteristics after a long-term exchange between Buddhist celestials, Taoist feathered people, Western Regions Feitian, and Central Plains Feitian. “It is a

flying sky with no wings, no feathers, and no round light” (Liang, 2022), with the supplemental help of clouds rather than solely relying on clouds. Feitian mainly depends on elegant dresses, body movement, and flying ribbons. Dunhuang Feitian is “the most talented creation of Chinese artists and a miracle in the painting history of world art” (Cao, 2022).

Although the history is rich, it may be a good idea to digitize the cultural heritage and let digital technology make the millennium Dunhuang "immortal" to better protect and inherit the art. Regarding the protection of Dunhuang, the speed and quality of on-site copying can “no longer meet the general requirements for the protection and recording of murals” (Zhang, 2022).

In addition, “distortion and discoloration are inevitable in simple photography and video recording” (Cao, 2022). However, emerging media arts, such as digital drawing, painting, 3D modeling, and animation, makes up for these shortcomings. It allows not only digital artists and designers to re-create in the context of the times, but also easy to disseminate and reproduce without loss. Digital technology will be a reasonable way to preserve precious cultural relics and pass them on.

When creating my own piece, I wanted to combine the rich history of Dunhuang Feitian and the modern elements of digital design. Flying Apsara, my painting, is mainly unrestrained to fly, showing a sense of dynamism and vitality. I hope the creations are vivid and the layout is grouped, with the beginning and the end connected, each figure with its attitude. Flying Apsara includes a female shape with a thin face and a slender body. One figure pattern of bouncing pipa and another reflecting the waist drum. These bouncing musical instruments are contrary to the natural laws of the human body as it is in the tradition Dunhuang Feitian, and it is an imaginary artistic model. Besides, I wish lines in the painting do not dominate the shape but combine lines and colors.

Feitian culture, as a unique line of Chinese culture, is an artistic continuation of Chinese painters in the past dynasties. It has profound historical significance and cultural origin. In addition, it combines Chinese and Western cultural elements, making Feitian culture more artistically valuable in theory. It's more practical because "Chinese society is all about the group, while Western celebrates the individual." Therefore, in terms of creative image, "Flying Apsara" is not a single art form but the product of blending various cultures. Dunhuang Feitian Mural is a miracle in the history of world painting art and is now protected as an artistic treasure. Although the era of "Feitian" has passed, the Feitian culture will be passed down from generation to generation, whether from a historical or artistic perspective, in many new forms as technology and art evolves with the times.

Works Cited Cao, Y. (n.d.). 3D modeling and animation design of Flying Apsaras in Dunhuang frescoes.

Docslib. Retrieved October 17, 2022, from https://docslib.org/doc/1721956/3d-modelingand-animation-design-of-flying-apsaras-in-dunhuang-frescoes Houseal, J. (2022, June 13). Dance at dunhuang: Part two – the case for the Feitian.

Buddhistdoor Global. Retrieved October 17, 2022, from https://www.buddhistdoor.net/features/dance-at-dunhuang-part-two-the-case-for-thefeitian/ Liang, L., & Wang, S. (2022, October 3). The generation and realization of Dunhuang cultural values from the perspective of crosscultural communication: Based on Spanish and Chinese culture. Journal of Environmental and Public Health. Retrieved October 17, 2022, from https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jeph/2022/5382213/ Wikipedia contributors. "Mogao Caves." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 25 Sep. 2022. Web. 12 Oct. 2022.

Zhang, R. (n.d.). Research on the elements of costumes in Dunhuang Feitian Art. Retrieved October 17, 2022, from https://webofproceedings.org/proceedings_series/ART2L/ICCLAH%202018/ICCLAH019. pdf