China artist makes paper bronzes

Tuesday, September 01, 2009 BEIJING: Going green is the only option for Chinese art lover and part-time artist Ma Yihua.Passionate about ancient bronze pieces, the civil servant from Beijing uses old newspapers to recreate the costly classical art, some as old as 2,000 B.C.An art enthusiast from an early age, the self-taught painter and sculptor spends his free-time studying traditional Chinese craftsmanship.More than twenty years ago, an exhibition in Beijing gave him an idea.Ma Yihua said, "I happened to visit the History Museum of China. There was a special exhibit on Chinese bronze. All the pieces dated back to the Shang and Zhou dynasties. I thought the bronze pieces' design, carving and colours were beautiful. I thought maybe I can make one myself."But work in bronze came with a high price-tag, so Ma needed a cheaper substitute.Taught by older generations to recycle all unused goods and materials, Ma's grandmother used to make containers out of old newspapers mixed with water and glue. Remembering how sturdy the containers were, Ma tried the technique to make bronze replicas.Ma Yihua said, "I don't think to make art you need to use very expensive materials. Making bronze using garbage shows my intelligence and creativity."The 55-year-old will soon retire from his government job, planning to show his pieces around China to inspire others to make "green" and inexpensive art.