An auto mechanic from the south has been pouring new life into scrap iron with a pair of deft hands that transform waste into a host of attractive artworks.
From a lively dragonfly perched on the handle of an axe to an iron sculpture in the shape of a taro, Liu Kun-ho (劉坤和), a self-taught craftsman and member of the Taishan Village (泰山) patrol team in Pingtung County, started iron sculpting about a year ago.
Unlike others who resort to alcohol or other potentially unhealthy activities, Liu started dabbling in arts to relieve increasing pressure at work.
Photo: Chiu Chih-jou, Taipei Times
“Whether it is the creative process or seeing my brainchild gradually take form, they give me an irreplaceable sense of achievement, which just sweeps away my gloominess,” Liu said.
Over time, Liu’s delicate iron works have helped him gain popularity and receive scores of orders from customers who want custom-made craftworks that feature various themes.
“I am not really that well-known and there is room for improvement in my works,” Liu said humbly. “Still, those who don’t find my creations that bad are welcome to order iron-made artworks from me.”
Liu’s craftsmanship has also captured the attention of local government officials, who invited him to take on a decorative project for a local park, to which the handyman readily agreed without considering the compensation.
Wang Ching-hsiang (汪璟翔), leader of the patrol team, said not only is Liu an excellent team member, but he is also willing to help others by dedicating his talent to his hometown.
“Such a spirit should be publicly recognized,” Wang said.
A group of Taiwanese-American and Tibetan-American students at Harvard University on Saturday disrupted Chinese Ambassador to the US Xie Feng’s (謝鋒) speech at the school, accusing him of being responsible for numerous human rights violations. Four students — two Taiwanese Americans and two from Tibet — held up banners inside a conference hall where Xie was delivering a speech at the opening ceremony of the Harvard Kennedy School China Conference 2024. In a video clip provided by the Coalition of Students Resisting the CCP (Chinese Communist Party), Taiwanese-American Cosette Wu (吳亭樺) and Tibetan-American Tsering Yangchen are seen holding banners that together read:
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