From Chinese characters to traditional Aboriginal totems, artist Wu Rong-bi (吳融賁) has been selling intricately painted pebbles on the streets for the past 40 years.
Dubbed “Uncle Stone” by his fans, the 64-year-old street artist began painting small rocks as Christmas gifts for his pupils when he was a young teacher.
The idea was a hit and he went on to pass a test to become a licensed busker in Taipei.
Photo: Sam Yeh, AFP
Wu sees his paintings as more than decorations — they are a way to convey good wishes to his customers.
“I often tell them there is a positive concept behind each stone and I hope they can find it helpful in some ways,” Wu said at his stand outside a department store in Taipei.
One popular pattern he paints is the leaves of the ginkgo plant. In Mandarin the tree is known as “yin xing” (銀杏), a phrase that also means wishing happiness to someone.
Other pebbles have a fish on them, a positive symbol because the Mandarin word for a “fish” is a homophone for “abundance.”
Some creations are inspired by Aboriginal totems, both from at home and overseas.
“Aboriginal cultures over the world have similar concepts and I base my drawings on the totems that stand for the vitality of life,” Wu said.
The vast majority of the nation’s population is Han Chinese, with just 2 percent descended from Aborigines.
Many academics consider Taiwan and parts of Southeast Asia the original source of the Austronesians, who include people on the Pacific islands, New Zealand’s Maoris and the Polynesians on Hawaii.
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