Meng Qiang（孟強）

Born in 1974, Meng Qiang holds a Master’s degree from the School of Art at Soochow University. He was named a “Suzhou Arts and Crafts Master” in the third round of the title’s conferral, and is a board member of the Suzhou Museum Association, an executive director of the Suzhou Arts and Crafts Industry Association, and head of the designated safeguarding unit for the Suzhou Intangible Cultural Heritage item “Scholar’s Rock Processing Techniques.” He is also a member of the Suzhou Copyright Bureau Expert Committee and currently serves as Director of the Suzhou Brick Carving Museum. A passionate connoisseur of antiquities with an extensive personal collection, Meng has devoted himself to the study of Suzhou-style brick carving, garden stone engraving, and the literati tradition of scholar’s rock appreciation. His academic and creative work is rooted in these areas, supported by a substantial body of essays and publications. With over twenty years of experience in scholar’s rock research, Meng has undertaken more than a hundred field investigations and stone selection trips to major stone-producing regions. He specializes in identifying, refining, cleaning, and enhancing stones such as Taihu, Lingbi, and Ying rocks, along with crafting their display stands and mounts. His efforts have resulted in numerous outstanding works, some of which are now housed in museums across China. He has received multiple awards in national arts and crafts exhibitions, and his writings—combining theoretical insight with hands-on experience—have been widely published in professional academic journals.