Yao Bangliang found his interest in lacquer over a decade ago, during his undergraduate art education studies at the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts. It led to him choosing to focus on lacquerwork for his master's degree. Ever since, he has been exploring new ways of working with lacquer.

In Yao's mind, lacquer is one of the most natural media in terms of color and texture. From painting to large installations, the 38-year-old is always seeking new artistic possibilities through lacquer.

"I am constantly looking for the expression of things and the possibility of forms, as well as the relationship between light and space," Yao says.

His artistic exploration and innovation earned him the critical acclaim of judges from both China and France when he emerged as the winner of this year's Hand of Wisdom Sino-French craft exchange program, organized by Golden Phoenix and Yishu 8, from 25 shortlisted artists on April 15. The selection process involved the submission of each artist's portfolio of work and an interview.

Su Dan, art director of the program, thinks that Yao's works are very rich in conceptual depth. "I am delighted to see that he has moved beyond the two-dimensional application of lacquer materials and is now paying more attention to the relationship between his works, the viewer and the surrounding space," Su says.