Photo taken on April 2, 2025 shows Geng Jiang creates a gem painting.

Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily (Reporter Li Xiongxin) news: In Xinjiang, a land full of cultural deposits, there is an artist who uses gemstones to depict landscapes and characters. His name is Geng Jiang, a representative inheritor of the gemstone mosaic painting item and a regional-level intangible cultural heritage in Xinjiang.

His gem paintings have won numerous awards in competitions across the country. These honors are not only a recognition of his personal artistic achievements but also an affirmation of his dedication and efforts in preserving and promoting Xinjiang's gemstone mosaic painting tradition.

Photo taken on April 2, 2025 shows Geng Jiang picks materials carefully.

Photo shows the gem painting "Golden Populus Diversifolia" made by Geng Jiang.

Photo shows the gem painting "Transition" made by Geng Jiang.

Each time Geng Jiang creates a gem painting, he first places the gemstones into sieves of varying mesh sizes, sifting them repeatedly to separate the gemstones into different sizes. He then collects gemstones of the same color and specification together, and proceeds with the process of inlaying and adhering them. As a result, gem paintings with a rich texture and lifelike quality are created.

Geng Jiang entered the Bomeng Workshop technology and culture integration industry demonstration park in Tianshan District of Urumqi City, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in 2016, becoming an inheritor of this regional-level intangible cultural heritage gem painting. Over the years, he has been continuously innovating while inheriting the tradition, and has been engaged in the creation and research of gem paintings and comprehensive material paintings. Through learning and exploring the integration of various contemporary art forms and techniques, he has developed a new type of gold thread inlay painting. These works have preserved the Chinese folk traditions and have developed the cultural value of modern art, filling a gap in the field of gem painting.

Photo taken on April 2, 2025 shows the exquisite gemstone paintings in Geng Jiang's studio attract tourists to visit.

Photo taken on April 2, 2025 shows Geng Jiang allows students to understand the history, unique charm and making skills of gem painting through on-site creation and explanation.

In 2019, Geng Jiang held his first solo exhibition. When over 140 pieces of his gem paintings entered the public eye, they caused a sensation within the art community. "The inheritance of craftsmanship must preserve the essence of the skill, but also innovate the cultural connotations. As a representative inheritor of intangible cultural heritage, it is about integrating traditional art with new elements and meanings to rejuvenate its vitality," Geng Jiang said. "Gems are treasures tempered by nature, which are full of rich and profound colors, and they contain abundant textural variations.” It is like a natural palette, and integrating gem colors into painting can naturally express the charm of nature. Therefore, Geng Jiang has always focused on works themed around Xinjiang's natural scenery and local customs.

Now, as a representative inheritor of the regional-level intangible cultural heritage gemstone painting, Geng Jiang devotes more of his time to creation and teaching, constantly seeking innovation and change. Geng Jiang said that his greatest wish is to be able to conduct a national tour exhibition, allowing more people to understand Xinjiang through his gem paintings.

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