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Cracking the secret of how to create, and sell, eggshell works of art
By Wu Huixin |
October 31, 2012, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
FRAGILE eggshells don't seem the most practical medium for carving exquisite patterns, portraits or 100 Chinese characters. Yet there is a master craftsman in Hangzhou who is expert at creating sophisticated works of art on the surface of ordinary eggshells.
Dong Yiyan, a 40-year-old Anhui Province native who now lives in Hangzhou, has devoted his creative energies to eggshell carving for seven years.
It began one day in 2005, when by chance he passed an eggshell carving stall in a night fair. Intrigued, Dong asked the stallholder to teach him the rare craft.
While the stallholder was unwilling to share his secrets, Dong was undeterred and began to try carving by himself. He bought art knives and eggs and started with the simplest patterns, such as flowers or one Chinese character.
"If I compare my early work with what I'm doing now, the progress is obvious," Dong says with a laugh.
He uses dark-colored eggs without any blemishes, as these are best for working on. The carving is made on raw eggs. First, Dong draws his design on the surface using a pencil; then he carves, following his sketched lines.
"The hardness of each shell is different. At first, I often broke eggs because I applied too much pressure, but with practice, I can judge how hard a shell is after I carve the first line," Dong says.
Once he's finished carving, Dong makes a soybean-sized hole on the bottom of the egg and injects air into the egg using a syringe, which pushes the yolk and white out through the hole.
The final step is to attach the egg to a base.
Dong's works are characterized by two techniques; one in which the surface is scraped off to create different tones; and a second where the shell is removed altogether.
As the latter technique cannot be achieved using ordinary art knives, Dong had to find an alternative. In the end, he hit upon the idea of using a dental tool and spent three weeks modifying one for the purpose.
Through such experimentation, finding inspiration in other people's work, plus plenty of creativity, Dong's works become more and more sophisticated. In time, he could carve 100 different calligraphic Chinese characters; Mao Zedong's calligraphy, traditional ink paintings and portraits of famous figures, dragons and complex designs.
Dong waxes the eggs to prevent tones fading and sometimes coats them with luminous powder so they glow in the dark.
To save money, Dong makes his own packing boxes for his artworks, using cardboard bought from a trash station.
Growing up in the 1970s during the so-called "cultural revolution" (1966-1976), Dong did not have opportunities to learn artistic skills. But as a teenager he taught himself calligraphy and painting. And the calligraphic works adorning the walls of his home show he has achieved a professional level in that art.
In love with eggshell carving
After falling in love with eggshell carving, Dong decided to quit his job and focus on his art. As the breadwinner of his family, Dong has to earn money to support two children in Anhui Province until they finish school, so he took his carved eggshells to sell at night fairs.
However, business wasn't good, and twice he was caught and fined by urban management officers, leading to hard times that left Dong on the verge of quitting.
But his situation took a turn for the better in 2008 when two college students from the Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) society of Hangzhou Dianzi University saw Dong's work and offered to help him sell them.
SIFE is an international non-profit organization which sees students form teams on their university campus and apply business strategies to develop outreach projects that improve the quality of life and standard of living for people in need.
The students founded a business named "Hand Down from Egg to Egg" - in Chinese, dan dan xiang chuan (μ°μ°?à′?) ?a a play on the traditional Chinese idiom "Hand Down from Age to Age," dai dai xiang chuan (′ú′ú?à′?).
Under this initiative, Dong sells his eggshells legally at a night fair in Xiasha Higher Education Zone of Hangzhou in a small window from 5:30pm to 6pm and has a shop on popular online shopping platform Taobao.
"Without those lovely students, I wouldn't have been able to continue with my eggshell carving," Dong says.
"Moreover, they teach me how to cater to the market. I used to carve Chinese zodiac symbols and other traditional things, but they told me college students here prefer constellations and characters from animations. Sure enough, after I took their advice my turnover increased."
Yu Yiran, director of "Hand Down from Egg to Egg," says "We've applied our knowledge to help master Dong sell carved eggs and set a Taobao shop offering customized service.
"In return, we've been moved by his determination and spirit of self-study."
Dong says the belief shown by his business partners helps motivate him. "Although my livelihood is still difficult, the thought of being backed by so many people makes me determined to continue carving, despite any hardship," he says.
Dong's work is available at http://eggoes.taobao.com.
Dong Yiyan, a 40-year-old Anhui Province native who now lives in Hangzhou, has devoted his creative energies to eggshell carving for seven years.
It began one day in 2005, when by chance he passed an eggshell carving stall in a night fair. Intrigued, Dong asked the stallholder to teach him the rare craft.
While the stallholder was unwilling to share his secrets, Dong was undeterred and began to try carving by himself. He bought art knives and eggs and started with the simplest patterns, such as flowers or one Chinese character.
"If I compare my early work with what I'm doing now, the progress is obvious," Dong says with a laugh.
He uses dark-colored eggs without any blemishes, as these are best for working on. The carving is made on raw eggs. First, Dong draws his design on the surface using a pencil; then he carves, following his sketched lines.
"The hardness of each shell is different. At first, I often broke eggs because I applied too much pressure, but with practice, I can judge how hard a shell is after I carve the first line," Dong says.
Once he's finished carving, Dong makes a soybean-sized hole on the bottom of the egg and injects air into the egg using a syringe, which pushes the yolk and white out through the hole.
The final step is to attach the egg to a base.
Dong's works are characterized by two techniques; one in which the surface is scraped off to create different tones; and a second where the shell is removed altogether.
As the latter technique cannot be achieved using ordinary art knives, Dong had to find an alternative. In the end, he hit upon the idea of using a dental tool and spent three weeks modifying one for the purpose.
Through such experimentation, finding inspiration in other people's work, plus plenty of creativity, Dong's works become more and more sophisticated. In time, he could carve 100 different calligraphic Chinese characters; Mao Zedong's calligraphy, traditional ink paintings and portraits of famous figures, dragons and complex designs.
Dong waxes the eggs to prevent tones fading and sometimes coats them with luminous powder so they glow in the dark.
To save money, Dong makes his own packing boxes for his artworks, using cardboard bought from a trash station.
Growing up in the 1970s during the so-called "cultural revolution" (1966-1976), Dong did not have opportunities to learn artistic skills. But as a teenager he taught himself calligraphy and painting. And the calligraphic works adorning the walls of his home show he has achieved a professional level in that art.
In love with eggshell carving
After falling in love with eggshell carving, Dong decided to quit his job and focus on his art. As the breadwinner of his family, Dong has to earn money to support two children in Anhui Province until they finish school, so he took his carved eggshells to sell at night fairs.
However, business wasn't good, and twice he was caught and fined by urban management officers, leading to hard times that left Dong on the verge of quitting.
But his situation took a turn for the better in 2008 when two college students from the Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) society of Hangzhou Dianzi University saw Dong's work and offered to help him sell them.
SIFE is an international non-profit organization which sees students form teams on their university campus and apply business strategies to develop outreach projects that improve the quality of life and standard of living for people in need.
The students founded a business named "Hand Down from Egg to Egg" - in Chinese, dan dan xiang chuan (μ°μ°?à′?) ?a a play on the traditional Chinese idiom "Hand Down from Age to Age," dai dai xiang chuan (′ú′ú?à′?).
Under this initiative, Dong sells his eggshells legally at a night fair in Xiasha Higher Education Zone of Hangzhou in a small window from 5:30pm to 6pm and has a shop on popular online shopping platform Taobao.
"Without those lovely students, I wouldn't have been able to continue with my eggshell carving," Dong says.
"Moreover, they teach me how to cater to the market. I used to carve Chinese zodiac symbols and other traditional things, but they told me college students here prefer constellations and characters from animations. Sure enough, after I took their advice my turnover increased."
Yu Yiran, director of "Hand Down from Egg to Egg," says "We've applied our knowledge to help master Dong sell carved eggs and set a Taobao shop offering customized service.
"In return, we've been moved by his determination and spirit of self-study."
Dong says the belief shown by his business partners helps motivate him. "Although my livelihood is still difficult, the thought of being backed by so many people makes me determined to continue carving, despite any hardship," he says.
Dong's work is available at http://eggoes.taobao.com.
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