Refining the theoretical framework of modern Chinese sculpture: Insights from buddhist imagery in the longmen grottoes

This study aims to conduct a comparative analysis of the religious symbolism, formal characteristics, and relief techniques in the sculptures of the Longmen Grottoes from the Northern Dynasties to the Tang Dynasty. It seeks to reveal the profound influence of Buddhist thought on the evolution of Chinese aesthetics, sculptural styles, and the development of carving techniques, simultaneously, by examining the structural composition and religious connotations of representative sculptural types such as Buddha figures, Bodhisattva images, and flying apsaras. It explores the interplay between religious culture, sculptural mechanisms, and the cultural dynamics of each era. The research findings aim to provide reference for constructing a sculptural teaching and formative theory system with distinctive local characteristics.