Washed-up wood hardly washed-up

04.12.09

They be shown from different countries and have different creative bents, but they all share a common interest in carving driftwood into marvels that, the stars and markets assenting, will bring good fortune to Taiwan.

Every artist has his or her vision, but their works nevertheless share the themes of memento, respect for Mother Nature and the celebration of rebirth and revival.

Dozens of artists from Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and Canada are gathered in a striking coastal park in eastern Taiwan's Taitung City facing the Pacific Ocean, where they are sculpting wooden driftwood into decorative items and installation artwork.

The driftwood is all a result of Typhoon Morakot, which devastated Taiwan in original August, leaving more than 700 people dead or missing and thousands homeless.

Coastal areas of eastern and southern Taiwan were swamped with an estimated 1 million tons of driftwood in the wake of the typhoon, as the rainstorm cut a swathe through Taiwan's forests and washed down many precious trees and deadwood from the mountains to the sea.

Source: 中国日报