Shen Hongjie was born in 1971 in Shaodong, Hunan Province. He served as national first level artist, member of the China Folk Literature and Art Association, researcher in the China Arts and Crafts Industrial Institution, member of Gansu Artists Association, member of Gansu Folk Art Artists Association, and an outstanding figure for China Calligraphy and Painting intangible cultural heritage. He had devoted himself to the carving and woodcut painting for decades. His Dunhuang artwork studio was the first one in China about woodcut painting. He was the leading figure of Dunhuang woodcut painting, and had drew board attentions with his unique style.
Since 30 years ago when he first stuck by the beauty of Mogao Grottoes, he decided to move to Dunhuang and devote his life to depicting the murals. In the following 15 years, he created splendid woodcut works depicting the Flying Apsaras and Buddhism stories. With his hard work, the Dunhuang woodcut works were more and more popular among the tourists. Shen Hongjie was also trying other art forms to promote the Dunhuang culture better.
申洪杰,1971年生于湖南省邵東县。现为国家一级美术师,中国民间文艺家协会会员,中国工艺美术产业研究院研究员,甘肃省美术家协会会员,甘肃省民间文艺家协会会员,中国书画非物质文化遗产功勋人物。专业从事雕刻及木刻画创作十余年,自2004年至今,在敦煌开设艺术工作室,开木雕画之首创,是敦煌木雕画的领军人。其作品形式及风格独树一帜,广受社会各界关注与收藏。
2004年,30多岁的申洪杰从湖南老家第一次到敦煌旅游,就被莫高窟精美绝伦的壁画震撼,当地的大漠风情、边塞文化让他流连忘返。深思熟虑后,喜欢木板雕刻的申洪杰决定移居敦煌,用刻刀把敦煌艺术展现在木板上,他这一干就是15年。在申洪杰的刻刀下,飞天、佛教故事等敦煌艺术惟妙惟肖地展现在一块块大小不一的木板上。十多年间,申洪杰先后带过几十名徒弟,有些徒弟学成出师,也开了工作室雕刻敦煌木刻画。在申洪杰的带动下,敦煌木刻画越来越受到游客的青睐。“用刻刀把敦煌艺术雕刻在木板上,我想这是弘扬敦煌文化的一种方式”,申洪杰说,“我已经开始尝试纸上烙画、石刻画等新的表现形式,希望能够通过创新更好地传承和弘扬敦煌文化。”