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The roots of art reveal essence of a man’s soul
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Qi Laifa has a passion for tree roots. He collects, carves and sometimes even talks to the gnarled pieces in his 90-square-meter flat.
The 77-year-old former farmer, soldier and factory worker said the only thing that hasn’t changed in his life in the past four decades is his fascination for the ancient craft of turning tree roots into artistic creations.
“Maybe it was my destiny,” Qi said. “I fell in love with the art when I was a little boy, though my family had no artistic bent.”
Born in the foothills of Sheshan Hill in the Songjiang District, Qi grew among woods and waters. The picturesque scenery and idyllic farm life of his childhood sowed the seeds of his artwork and inspired his dreams.
His root art, unlike others typically carved in delicate detail, is coarse, with spare, simple cuts that follow the natural grain of the roots, keeping the original shape and melding natural nodes, textures, lumps and bumps into the finished work.
“I love the wild, disorderly shapes of roots,” he said. “I can see millions of possibilities springing from messy roots.”
To appreciate Qi’s artworks, one needs a little imagination.
“It’s like an ‘aha’ when you suddenly capture the essence,” he said.
A little imagination
Stepping into his apartment is like venturing into a world of wood. Inside are more than 300 root carvings and about 200 various old bricks, folk baskets, bamboo shelves and other collectibles that turn his home into a mini-museum.
“They might be trash to some, but in my eyes, they are treasures,” Qi said.
One of his carvings, “Chinese Dragon,” is about 1.5 meters long and almost natural in appearance. Qi simply carved out a dragon’s head and polished it. The dragon’s body follows the undulating, gnarled main root, while smaller roots form its claws, some as thin as hairs entangled in each other.
Another piece, “Deer that Looks Back,” was carved from a piece of wood with intricate small roots. Qi simply carved a deer’s head and body on the biggest root, while leaving four smaller roots as the legs.
“It is looking back,” he said. “With this piece, I wanted to express my belief that modern people need to look back to the past, to remember the old traditions and to slow down the pace of their lives.”
In 1966, Qi moved to Anhui Province for work. It was there that he first took a serious interest in root sculpture. As a telecommunications worker, he was often sent deep into the mountains with local farmers to lay cables.
There, in remote valleys and forests, Qi found many tree branches and roots. He took them home for his bonsai hobby.
“When I had time, I would carve a little on the roots and branches,” he said. “Then gradually it became a thing that occupied me for a whole day. And when I got a tree root with a weird shape, new ideas just came to me.”
Qi liked to scour construction sites, riverbanks and forests where dead trees were most commonly found. He prefers hardwood such as laurel, camphor and holly for his carving.
His favorite time for picking up roots was between the day of White Dew — which in the lunar calendar often falls around September 8 — and the first month of spring. At that time, he said, the wood doesn’t rot as easily.
Qi removes dirt from the roots before soaking them in water for about half a month and then letting them dry and cool. After that, he strips the bark and then returns them to shade for more drying.
Then comes that most brain-racking moment.
“I observe the root and think what to do with it in an artistic way,” Qi said of a process that can take seconds or years. “If my mind is a complete blank, I put the root aside. I believe inspiration will eventually come.”
In 1996, Qi was honored as a “Chinese Folk Artist” by UNESCO. In 2001, he turned his apartment into a household museum, open free to anyone interested in root carving. In 2005, Qi held an exhibition in Fangta Park.
Today 26 of his carvings are displayed in the Dushi Carved House, a mansion built in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and now home to exhibits of Songjiang’s cultural heritage.
“Less is more, which is the principle of my art as well as my life,” Qi said. “The process of creating a piece of art is an exercise in exploring one’s inner soul.”
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