The Inheritance and Innovation of Blue Calico Culture Driven by AIGC: Exploring the Generative AI Design Framework and Craft Visualization.
Chinese Blue Calico is a representative form of traditional Chinese handcrafted textile printing and dyeing and has been recognized as an important item of intangible cultural heritage. It is particularly renowned in regions such as Nantong in Jiangsu Province and Tongxiang in Zhejiang Province. The craft employs resist-printing techniques and natural crackle effects to produce exquisite patterns imbued with auspicious cultural meanings, exhibiting distinctive aesthetic and cultural value. However, the design of calico patterns and the creation of three-dimensional artifacts constitute a technically complex process with high aesthetic demands. This process typically requires long-term training and a profound understanding of traditional craftsmanship, which has, to some extent, limited the broader dissemination and sustainable transmission of Blue Calico culture. To address these challenges, this study proposes an AI-assisted approach that leverages AIGC technologies to facilitate the dissemination of Blue Calico culture, provide creative support for cultural inheritors, and enable the visualization of traditional craftsmanship. First, we conduct a comprehensive investigation into the role of artificial intelligence in the Blue Calico craft, identifying core techniques, pattern typologies, and cultural connotations to explore potential opportunities for AI integration. Subsequently, by optimizing cultural annotations and training parameters, we develop an AI-driven framework termed “AI Calico.”