Happy Wood...
So this is meant to be summer.
Here in Glasgow that means dark clouds and torrential rain.
Yesterday it also meant hailstones!
Looking up at the rain clouds last night reminded that I have been meaning to share the work of Taiwanese artist Yen Jui-Lin for the longest time.
He sculpts various wood species for textures and different colours to create these wonderful creations that are halfway between sculpture and toy. The grains and colours of the wood make them utterly charming and magical.
I know I tend to over anthropomorphise things but who could resist doing that with these guys…
Each of Jui-Lin’s playful “little characters” is co-designed with his two children. Together they share ideas, and then Jui-Lin brings them to tangible reality by carving the quirky cast of characters out of wood. (Naturally, he gifts a number of them exclusively to his children.)
Jui-Lin uses a selection of different woods, stains, and varnishes to achieve such variety in his creations. Ranging from animalistic creatures, to siamese twins joined at the head, these objects are all one-of-a-kind, with each seeming to have their own mischievous personality. Their characters are often conveyed with subtle engravings, forming little mouths and expressions. Some also function as vases, with grass or flowers as sprouting tufts of hair, while others are simply unique toys for kids and lighthearted adults.
