A well chosen cut finds beauty in stone

By Tan Weiyun  |   2008-7-5  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

MASTER sculptor Wang Jingen has spent a lifetime learning how to shape stone and wood into beautiful pieces of art, writes Tan Weiyun.

Transforming a piece of stone into a beautiful creations has held an enduring fascination for master sculptor Wang Jingen. While the rocks he starts with may be rough and unshaped, in his nimble hands the 73-year-old stone sculptor creates vivid artworks.

Wang says it takes a special kind of person to work with stone - someone with determination and patience.

"Well, I have a temper that is harder and stronger than stone," the artist says with a smile. "It's never too late to carve a creation out of stone."

The tireless Nanhui-native's superb skills, along with his intricate designs, have earned him a reputation as one of the country's masters of working with stone.

Stepping into the artist's work studio in Xinchang - an ancient town with a history of more than 1,000 years - is to venture into a world of stone pieces hewn into teapots, ink slabs, brush pots and many other wonderful creations.

A hard rock, after being tapped, hammered, gouged, carved or crosshatched by Wang's skillful hands, can be turned into a beautiful piece of art.

Some of his creations are teapots shaped as a peach (a fruit emblem for long life in Chinese culture), ink slabs entwined with dragons or surrounded by lions (both animals symbolize authority and power), to bamboo-shaped brush pots and lotus bowls.

Each piece has an interesting story behind it, drawn from Chinese legends, literature, folklore or Wang's personal experiences. The mythical character of the Monkey King, the story of the hare and the tortoise, even a seashell Wang collected during a trip to the Persian Gulf can give the imaginative artist inspiration for his creations.

"Frankly speaking, I had never thought of becoming an artist," Wang says with a smile. "It was destiny that finally led me to take up stone sculpting."