Research On Identity Construction Of Shadow Puppet Artists In Southeastern Henan

This study examines the identity construction process of shadow puppetry artists in the southeastern part of Henan Province.Based on field investigations and literature reviews,the study summarizes the different dimensions of artist identity construction,taking into account the influence of identity construction on the individual,society,and country,as well as the significance of perceived identity to the development and survival of films.Through the analysis of identity,the study shows that identity is a dynamic concept that presents different construction aspects in different contexts.The main part of this article includes four aspects that discuss the artist’s identity construction,while the introduction mainly discusses the origin,purpose,and significance of the study.In the first chapter,the study discusses the historical development of shadow puppetry in southeastern Henan Province,describing its living space and presenting the two dimensions of vertical and horizontal shadow puppetry in this region.Based on this,the study further discusses the identity construction process of artists.The second chapter mainly focuses on the individual identity construction of artists,including how artists view themselves and how they differ from other forms of folk artists.The study shows that artists complete their self-construction after apprenticeship and art learning,thus gaining their own identity.The third chapter focuses on the social interaction aspects of the identity of film and television artists,including the intermediary identity of man and god formed in performance activities,and the dimension of identity construction through the performances of wishing and commercial performances in market activities.The fourth chapter mainly focuses on the identity construction of shadow puppet artists from a macro perspective.The study examines how shadow puppeteers adjust to the presence of the state under the intervention of national discourse.The study shows that,in the early days of the founding of the People’s Republic of China,the transformation from “actors” to “literary and art workers” was realized.After the period of social transformation,with the intervention of the intangible cultural heritage protection movement,shadow puppet artists transformed from “literary and artistic workers”to “inheritor”.Through the investigation of the identity of shadow puppet artists in the southeastern part of Henan Province,the study shows that the three dimensions of individual-society-country,with identity as the core,form the first layer of identity at the micro level through the self.At the social dimension,the identity formation occurs through performance exchanges,while in the third dimension,the identity is institutionalized through the intervention of the state,enabling the "margins" separated from mainstream society to be included in the state system.The three dimensions are interdependent and influenced,which is an important reason for the continuous development and survival of shadow puppetry in this region.