Miniature & Brick Carving Grade 6 Class Ren－Chia-Hsin Lu

Lotus is carved on a brick with fine strokes reflecting its delicacy. This is Chen Forng-Shean’s world of miniature carving.

Flourishing in the ancient times, miniature carving has gradually declined. As a master in miniature carving and calligraphy, Chen Forng-Shean has been interested in art since childhood. In Cyberfair, Mr. Chen’s masterpiece was presented. He painted “Kong”, a Chinese character, which means emptiness, 280 times on the eggshell to form a bigger “Kong” character. Five pandas appear lively in the sewing needle hole; magpies, banyan trees and a poem are carved on rice.

We also became aware of the loss of traditional culture. Chen Forng-Shean has strived to promote brick carving by establishing the museum and holding brick carving DIY activities. Chen Forng-Shean said with regret that most of his students are elder and have less creativity and ability to learn like young people. He encouraged young people to cultivate hobbies besides playing video games. It is the public and the government that are responsible for the inheritance of traditional cultures. The process of modernization should not erase the collective memories of the past.

Through this Cyberfair, I have learned the origin and category of miniature carving and even witnessed the loss of traditional cultures. This lets me realize that we should do something to hand the brick carving down.

The Universe in a Grain of Sand- The Miniature & Brick Carving of Chen Forng-Shean Grade 6 Class Yi－Yi-Chiao Fang
Students attending Cyberfair held an exhibition for the faculty and schoolmates. The topic is Chen Forng-Shean: Master in Miniature. Students presented their work through posters and hosted a Q&A session. They also played a video showing the news station’s interview with Mr. Chen.

Through this exhibition, I have learned a lot about carving and hope that this craft will be handed down forever.

Brick Carving and Miniature Carving Grade 5 Class Hsin－Ping-Yeh Chung
Today, the whole class listened to the presentation of Mr. Chen’s brick carving and miniature carving creation in the multi-function classroom.

According to students attending Cyberfair, almost 300 pieces of artwork are collected in Chen Forng-Shean Miniature Art Museum, located on the second floor of Mr. Chen’s house. Artwork rotates every three months. A DIY area is available on the scene. In addition, pictures of Mr. Chen’s work taken during the visit to the museum were displayed in Cyberfair.

Through a detailed introduction given by these students, I have learned one more traditional culture. The presentation was fun and educational.

Brick Carving Exhibition Grade 5 Class Hsin－Hsuan-Ying Lai
Today, the whole class visited Cyberfair in the multi-function classroom on the sixth floor. The topic is The Universe in a Grain of Sand- The Miniature & Brick Carving of Chen Forng-Shean. We listened to the presentation given by the senior grade.

First, we watched a documentary film about Mr. Chen and got to know that brick craving has a history of 400 years or more in Taiwan. As no compound exists in Taiwan nowadays, this craft has declined gradually. In view of this, Mr. Chen has strived to hand brick carving down by establishing the museum.

Second, the senior grade introduced Mr. Chen’s background. Since the childhood, Mr. Chen was adept at painting and received an excellent result in the competition. In the senior high school, Mr. Chen studied in Arts and Craft Department and laid a good foundation since then. Later, he worked for Central Engraving and Printing Plant and ultimately devoted himself to miniature and brick carving.

Sharing of Miniature Carving Exhibition Grade 5 Class Ai －Ming-Kuan Lin
Today, we visited the exhibition The Universe in a Grain of Sand- The Miniature & Brick Carving of Chen Forng-Shean organized by students attending Cyberfair.

When it comes to miniature carving, people think of Chen Forng-Shean, the master in miniature carving. Adept at calligraphy, painting, and sculpture, Mr. Chen always loves challenging the ultimate. Making work done on tiny things, miniature carving requires considerable concentration and patience.

After listening to the presentation, Mr. Chen’s perseverance and attitude toward excellence impressed me. As the saying goes, “No pain, no gain.” Mr. Chen’s contribution to cultural preservation makes his artwork masterpieces.

In addition to knowledge of craving, I have also learned from Mr. Chen that to do one thing attentively is what I have to improve.

Sharing of Cyberfair Grade 6 Class Xiao －Shao-Tzu Lu
Through Cyberfair, I got to know Chen Forng-Shean, the master in miniature carving. In his third grade, he was found adept at painting. He was also good at calligraphy. After military service, he worked for Central Engraving and Printing Plant.

Among Mr. Chen’s artwork, what impresses me the most is 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, where five pandas are lively carved in the sewing needle hole. There are more than 40 piece of miniature carving artwork on display. Artwork rotates every three months. In addition to Mr. Chen’s carvings, sketches and calligraphy are also exhibited. To hand miniature down forever, Mr. Chen prepares some simple DIY tools for visitors to understand the process of miniature carving by having a hands-on experience.

One of reasons for the loss of miniature carving is its difficult process. I think that art in every kind should be handed down to descendants.

Sharing of Cyberfair Grade 5 Class Hsiao－Jo-Ying Teng
Few people think of minifying a thing smaller than a needle hole. For Mr. Chen, the master in miniature carving, he can create artwork using paper, wood, bamboo, cotton, stone, sand, metal, toothpicks, dental flosses, toothbrushes, rice, match sticks, candle hearts, edible noodles, sewing lines, eggs, claws, ant’s head, dragonfly’s wings, and fly’s wings.

In addition to skills and sharp eyes, it takes a lot of time and efforts to create miniature carving.

Enjoying a long history, miniature carving has gradually declined because few people are willing to spend a lot of time and efforts doing such hard work. When creating soap carving, I realized that a successful piece of work depends on every detail, layer and pattern, which I believe is extremely difficult.

Through this exhibition, I have learned a lot about miniature carving. Next time, I will definitely visit the museum with my family.

Compiled by: Chih-Yu, Shao-Ting