A controlled application of heated objects to the everyday, creates burn marks with their own forms, be it a butterfly, a river or a person. This is pyrography, writing with fire, and Tang Zheng is a master.

Tang discovered his passion when was a young boy. “I liked to use the surface of the furniture at home,” he says, smiling.

He was gripped by art as a youth. With years of practice already under his belt, he knew how his life would unfold when it came time to choose a career. That’s why he moved to the Chinese Painting and Calligraphy University, looking to perfect his practical understanding of the arts with theoretical knowledge.

After graduation he realised pyrography was his favourite among all the artistic disciplines and he decided to focus on it. He began practicing more and more of his craft, improving his focus, methods and tools. It led to experimentation and an explanation for why he now uses electric soldering irons instead of traditional irons. “I wanted a change from tradition,” Tang claims.

Pyrography dates back thousands of years to the folk craft of pokerwork. Craftsmen created marks with soldering irons heated in furnaces on readily available surfaces such as bamboo and leather. With the invention of electric soldering irons the traditional craft grew into a sophisticated decorative art. The materials used have evolved too, with wood boards, fine-textured Xuan paper and silk fabrics being used.

The modern incarnation of the art creates a depth of colours from elegant sepia tones to deep browns, and images that range from the simple to the complex.

A leading light

Tang’s work is so highly regarded on the mainland that it is under patent protection. His works are displayed in several embassies of the People’s Republic of China, inside the Great Hall of the People in Tiananmen Square, the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse and the Japan National Institute of Arts.

Tang, 54, has collected several academic positions and titles throughout his career. He teaches in Beijing, is the director of the China Calligrapher and Painter Association and regarded as a national first-class artist whose style has developed with exposure to different masters.

A bright future

As for his legacy, he is not worried. He has no fear that his technique will be lost. There is enough interest in his hometown of Suqian in northern Jiangsu province for him to open a small school, despite the fact that no one in his family is slightly interested in pyrography. His daughter is currently studying arts at university but is more interested in painting.

At the school he teaches those who are interested. And he has noticed that there are more and more people interested in learning. He has two other offices, in Beijing and Shanghai, where he attends to clients from all over the mainland.

His popularity is growing not only within the country but has also spread to Southeast Asia. Still based in Suqian, he travels frequently to take care of orders and exhibitions.

“I will teach a lot of people the craft. Also, it’s already under the government’s protection, being considered intangible cultural heritage,” he says, hopeful that the art will never disappear.