Galleria Pangea Artist Creations Featured on Official Chinese New Year Stamp

A Galleria Pangea featured artist, Hu Xinming, has recently been selected by the Chinese government to design the official stamp for 2007's Chinese New Year, the "Year of the Pig."

Hu Xinming, who has been working in sculpting for over 30 years, was chosen for his design of the Zodiac Pig statue with traditional folk art style designs. His design will be featured in stamps distributed throughout China in honor of the coming Chinese New Year, which is one of the largest festivals in the country.

"I am still just that boy who likes to play with mud. I don't care about the award plaques or the fancy titles they gave me. I am just doing what I like the most", says Hu Xinming. Hu's hometown, Fengxiang is famous for its colorful clay sculptures. Influenced by his family, Hu started making clay figures since he was four, five years old. He loves animals. He often sat in the yard watching birds on trees or cats playing for hours. He captured the motions and expressions of animals with his clay sculptures. His horse and Goat clay sculpture designs have been featured on Chinese stamps in 2002 and 2003. His sculptures have also been given as gifts to foreign officials, such as Bill Clinton.

"We are thrilled that Mr. Hu was chosen for this great opportunity," said Galleria Pangea president Jason Yeung. "Hu Xinming's selection demonstrates the incredible vitality and talent of our artisans, and we're extremely pleased to be able to offer his designs to our customers at a competitive price."

Galleria Pangea is a collaborative partnership between Asian and Western friends interested in the relationship of culture and craft. Its staff travels extensively throughout China to discover the handmade treasures that often lie hidden in the infrequently-visited regions of the country. Much like Hu Xinming's own work, each of Galleria Pangea's products has a unique cultural significance and story to be shared; other work by Hu Xinming and many other talented artists like him is available through Galleria Pangea's website at http://www.GalleriaPangea.com