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Wang X. Typology of visual images in the costume design of Chinese wuxia films from the 1980s to the 2020s. Journal of Clothing Science. 2026; 11(2). Available at: https://kostumologiya.ru/PDF/09IVKL226.pdf (in Russian).

Typology of visual images in the costume design of Chinese wuxia films from the 1980s to the 2020s

Wang Xinan
Russian State University named A.N. Kosygin (Technologies. Design. Art), Moscow, Russia
E-mail: 1191208377@qq.com
RSCI: https://elibrary.ru/author_profile.asp?id=1299065

Abstract. The article is devoted to the issues of creating visual images through costume in accordance with the types used in Chinese wuxia films, the development of a system in costume design, and a special code in the depiction of stable characteristics of characters. The wuxia film genre, which is a unique national phenomenon of Chinese art, has focused on the national features of China’s material and spiritual culture, including the artistic and symbolic traditions of historical costume, which costume designers use to create visual images of characters. In the period from the 1980s to the 2020s, Chinese cinema attracted attention with its vivid imagery and interpretation of various forms of national art, including the design of film costumes, which resulted in very interesting artistic outcomes. Drawing on the historical legacy of costume design, designers employ various approaches and techniques to address creative challenges, such as shaping through the transformation of cuts, colorornamental structure, the use of new materials and textures. This study relies primarily on the typological method in examining the costume design of four main types of heroes: knights, villains, female characters, and monks. The author analyzes the features of costume design that correspond to the characters and roles of the main characters in such films as «Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon», «The Legend of the Swordsman», «The Dragon Tavern», «The Assassin», «The Touch of Zen», «The Dragon Gate», «The Shaolin Temple», «The Blade», and others. The design of costumes during this period reflects the development of a concept and a system of views on the criteria that a costume should meet in Chinese wuxia films.

Keywords: Wuxia films; typology; costume design; historical prototype; visual symbol; cultural code; national culture

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