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Jin: It takes 15-20 minutes to make a cubic one or a more complex one, and less than a minute to make a simple one.
Jin: Can you tell us about the procedure?
Zhou: First, I boil down the sugar into brown sugar blocks at home. At my stand, I put a block into a pot, and after the sugar melts, I spoon some out and draw on a stone plate.
Jin: Do you design all the figures yourself?
Zhou: Yes.
Jin: What do you think about while you make them?
Zhou: Nothing. All the figures are stored in my mind, and I’m very familiar with them. I can make anything you want without referring to any graphics.
Jin: How has your business been doing?
Zhou: It’s ok during holidays but not good during weekdays.
Jin: What about in the past?
Zhou: It was better. In the past, if I setup my stall in a busy area, I would have to keep drawing even without time to raise my head up. They cost only two mao (0.2RMB) at that time and they cost two kuai (2RMB) now.
Jin: Do you care about the money?
Zhou: I did when I was out of work.
Jin: Do you think people today still respect this kind of art?
Zhou: I think so. Every time I make it, a lot of people watch.
Jin: Do you think people are still interested in traditional stuff? Is there anybody that wants to study the craft from you?
Zhou: Most people are interested, but there aren’t many people left that can make it. A friend of mine wanted to send his 17-year-old son to study it because he did poorly in school and wanted to learn a craft to make a living. I said he wouldn’t be able to master it if he did poorly in school. It’s much harder than studying. At school, you have a teacher to teach you everything, but for this, you need talent in addition to my instruction. You can’t just learn from me and then do it right away. You need to practice a lot with your heart and soul. Sugar artists store all the figures in their brain, and when they draw, they just follow their feelings.
Jin: Do you know how many sugar artists there are in Tianjin?
Zhou: As far as I know, very few, no more than 20.
Jin: When do you usually come out?
Zhou: On the weekend when the weather is good. On weekdays I usually come in the evening.
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