Hsu Huang-yen (許煌烟), a Nantou-based artist known for constructing intricate architectural models inside glass bottles, has died at the age of 88.
Hsu’s death late last month was confirmed by his children, who said that after casting divination blocks, they had decided to donate their father’s more than 100 artworks to his close friend, folklore expert Liao Ta-yi (廖大乙).
Liao said in a statement on Tuesday that he was making plans to arrange free exhibitions of Hsu’s work to convey the “determined, persevering spirit” behind his friend’s creations.
Photo: CNA
A resident of Nantou’s Yuchi Township (魚池), Hsu began his artistic career about 20 years ago. He attributed his style to work he had done as a construction engineer building tunnels at the Taiwan Power Co’s Mingtan Power Station (明潭).
Using long chopsticks, Hsu assembled detailed architectural models — such as Taipei 101 and Kaohsiung’s 85 Sky Tower, as well as transmission towers, sailboats and pagodas — inside glass bottles, using only bamboo sticks and glue as his building materials.
The process required him to constantly adjust the angle of the bottle, and frequently left him with a sore neck and eyes, Hsu had previously said.
The work could only be done slowly, in a state of mental calm, and was impossible when frustrated or angry, he said.
In an interview before his death, Hsu joked that he had never seen anyone try to imitate his art.
“Without patience, it’s really hard to stick to” something like this, he said.
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