ZRZ ROORART WORKROOM

Tree Root Art, which has been popular in China for centuries, is a joint work of man and nature. When working with tree roots, artists should make as little alternation as possible to preserve the root€™s natural beauty and form. Yet artists€™ imagination and carving skills turn pieces of natural root into art works that capture the unique Chinese histories and cultures. For that reason, Tree Root Art is also recognized as €the art with the most oriental characteristics€. In order to appreciate root carving fully, one must be aesthetic with a particular perception and understanding of art as well as a particular taste to what is pleasing to the senses, especially sight The essence of root carving lies between resemble and non-resemble. Only for those who are good at observing and discovering can explore the charms, wonders, oddness, and uniqueness from the shape of root carves; only for those who have wild imagination can understand the intention of the creator, or may even exceed the creator's imagination and discover a more profound connotation. When compared with other kinds of art, one will find root carving has its own characteristics, and with that, €naturism€ is the most prominent. While most of the other kinds of art are subjectively created by the artists, root art must be carved according to the natural form of the trees in order to preserve the root€™s original shape, texture and color. Root carving emphasizes natural beauty, which further displays its uniqueness. One will find "*0% man's work and *0% God's work" in most pieces for root art. Unlike the majority artworks which can be reproduced or imitated, each piece of root art is one of its kind. These unique characteristics makes root art collection extremely valuable.