The delight of landscaping on a miniature level
Print Edition
The art of miniascapes, which originated in China more than 1,000 years ago, has never lost its appeal among those who appreciate delicacy and handcrafted creativity.
Ma Boqin, who lives in Minhang, is among those who keep this ancient art form alive. In his apartment are more than 1,000 bonsai “landscapes.”
His creations combine the art of bonsai, or miniature trees or bushes grown in dishes, with aesthetic disciplines like painting, literature and stonework.
Ma, now in his 80s, has spent 10 years creating mini-landscapes. His home has become his studio. Many of his works take their themes from traditional Chinese poems and dramas.
“This is a wonderful, enjoyable process,” Ma said. “Every time I complete a miniature landscape, I have something new to appreciate.”
Art infuses his small apartment. On the walls hand Chinese calligraphies and paintings.
On redwood shelves, sit his bonsai creations, waiting to captivate the observer with their intricacy of texture and intimacy of thought.
“There is no boundary between arts,” Ma said. “An appreciation of traditional art forms inspires me to create new miniascapes.”
Ma has been fond of drawing since his youth. When he retired at age 60, he was introduced to miniascapes by a friend. After meeting members of the Shanghai Miniascape Association, Ma embarked on the art.
“It’s really hard to describe how excited I felt when I completed my first one,” Ma said.
Interest in the art form has been growing in the last four decades. In 1981, the Chinese Association of Flowers, Plants and Miniascapes was founded. In 1988, the Chinese Association of Miniascape Artists began in Beijing. The establishment of such groups has promoted rapid growth of miniascape culture both in China and abroad.
Ma’s miniascapes are divided into 10 series by theme and style. They include garden landscapes, the poems of the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), traditional Chinese drama and ancient philosophy.
“People usually think the stones used in miniascape should be precious, but to my eyes, ordinary stone – or wood or any material — can become ‘precious’ in a creative miniascape,” he said.
Ma once picked up a stone he liked when he visited Yellow Mountain in southern Anhui Province and used it as the centerpiece of a miniascape entitled “Farmhouse.”
Even materials discarded by neighbors, such as old bamboo mats, sometimes find their way into his artwork.
Ma’s travels provide inspiration for his creations. He said he loves to travel and has visited many of the famous scenic spots of China, many celebrating the splendors of the past.
Hundreds of Ma’s creations relate to Tang poems, recreating the stories and scenes depicted in the verse.
“Miniascapes have enriched my life,” May said. “So I naturally want to do what I can to spread that sense of happiness to other people through these works.”
He has held three solo exhibitions of his work, including one in Guyi Park in the Jiading District. Last summer, he rented a showroom on Minhang’s Qibao Old Street and exhibited his works free for public viewing.
“My miniascape works are only for display, not for sale,” he said.
Public reception has been warm.
“When you look at these miniature landscapes, you feel a sense of overwhelming pleasure,” said Hu Wenyao, a visitor at one of Ma’s exhibitions. “It is so enjoyable to see something from the larger world reduced to a small, delicate art piece.”
Ma is a member of the China Miniascape Association and a contributor to China Flower and Miniascape magazine. He has also published six books about the art form. In 2005, Ma founded the magazine Shanghai Miniascape and Stone Appreciation and still serves as its editor-in-chief.
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