Taiwanese leather art by Yeh Fa-yuan on display
Leather sculptures by Taiwanese artist Yeh Fa-yuan are currently on display at Taoyuan Cultural Bureau in north-western Taiwan.
Mr Yeh, whose artworks have previously been exhibited at the Louvre, uses leather to make lifelike representations of human and animal figures, as well as scenes from nature.
In order to achieve his three-dimensional depictions, the largely self-taught artist reportedly grounds raw cowhide into powder, which he then builds up into a sculptural material by hand. He also undertakes some leather carving.
Other techniques include the use of moulds, plus cutting shapes from leather pieces and then soaking the material in water to make it softer and more flexible, before the back is coated with a chemical solution to help the piece retain its sculpted shape after drying. Mr Yeh previously told Taiwan Today that he then has around four hours to pull, pinch, squeeze, press, perforate, cut, knead, twist and do “whatever else is necessary” to create his desired shape or figure.
Dying the leather can sometimes require more than ten sessions, depending on the vividness of colour desired.
Mr Yeh’s leather works are on display at Taoyuan Cultural Bureau until Sunday, March 14.
Image shows Yeh Fa-yuan in front of a display of his works at Taoyuan Cultural Bureau. Credit: Yeh Fa-yuan via Instagram (@yehfayuanleatherart)
