Leather becomes lifelike sculptures of crabs and eagles in hands of artist Yeh Fa-yuan
Leather becomes lifelike sculptures of crabs and eagles in hands of artist Yeh Fa-yuan
2023-03-06
Leather sculpture is a rare artform practiced by skilled craftspeople worldwide. In Taiwan, Yeh Fa-yuan has been making stunning leather art for 36 years. Using techniques he developed himself, he’s found new ways to bring a simple strip of leather into a 3D work of art. From lifelike crabs to eagles, ants, and even human beings, Yeh can fashion them all out of leather. But as he shared with us, making a living from art has not always been easy. After years of hard work in obscurity, now Yeh’s work can be seen at the world famous Louvre Museum in Paris.
A tap of the hammer, and a flick of the chisel: gradually a pattern emerges. The trimmed-down crab’s legs are softened in water and remodeled.
A pin is used to create hairs. The crab’s body and legs are assembled, pieced together, then brushed with green dye. When it dries, another layer is applied – 10 times. Then the lifelike crab is finally complete.
Yeh Fa-yuan
Leather sculptor
Quite by accident, while I was working, I noticed a piece of leather that looked like a guitar. That’s how I first got involved with leather. I quit my job to dedicate myself to leather art because I think that it’s a very happy thing to be able to do work that interests you!
In Yeh Fa-yuan’s nimble hands, a simple piece of leather becomes a vendor with a basket full of crabs, ants crawling over watermelon or crystal sugar, or a dish of stir-fried pork. Yeh quit a stable career to follow his passion, and over the years he was surprised to find people loved his work.
Yeh Fa-yuan
Leather sculptor
Actually, while I’m working, I always think that artists need to have a lot of perseverance and willpower, to keep struggling at it for long periods of time, as well as a kind of foolish desire to just keep doing it, without complaints or regrets. At the stage when you’re not yet famous, you can go months without making any money. I thought about giving up, in the past. And I thought to myself, “Maybe I need to adjust my pace and my methods, so that I can fulfill these dreams of mine.”
Hsu Kuai
Wife of Yeh Fa-yuan
I’ve got a good line in leather chat! I can talk about his work in a more indirect, softer, more storytelling kind of way – about where he got the ideas for the piece, or the inspiration behind it.
And Yeh has also made a name for his work worldwide, having pieces exhibited at the Louvre Museum in France. His wife, a former art gallery tour guide, is his marketing manager par excellence.
Yeh Fa-yuan
Leather sculptor
I encounter many difficulties in my work, and I did once think about quitting. The insight which the eagle gives us is that we must have the courage to change and the determination to be reborn.
This series of eagle sculptures, created painstakingly over two years, exhibits the luxurious soft feathers of the bird, as well as their charismatic strength. Like Yeh himself, they swoop low to the ground so as to soar into the sky.
台灣師傅把皮雕變3D 受邀到羅浮宮參展
2023-03-06
從事皮雕藝術36年的葉發原，透過自己鑽研的技法，將一塊平平無奇的牛皮，3D立體化，變成躍然紙上的老鷹、螃蟹和東坡肉，從入不敷出，到紅到國外、甚至受邀到羅浮宮參展，他說，很高興自己走過低谷，成功證明，興趣也能當成飯吃。
敲打、削薄，刻出輪廓深淺，裁剪下來的螃蟹腳，沾水軟化，再塑型。
用針挑出毛流，將蟹身、蟹腳組裝黏合後，再刷上丁香綠顏料，等乾了、再刷一層，反覆來回10次，這隻活靈活現的螃蟹就大功告成。
[[皮雕師 葉發原]]
“在工作中一個偶然機會裡面，發現一塊皮革很像樂器吉他，從此也與皮革結緣，之所以會放棄工作投入皮革(藝術) ，是因為我覺得一個人，能夠做自己有興趣的工作是幸運的”
一張牛皮，在葉發原的手中，千變萬化，不管是挑螃蟹的小販，爬在西瓜、冰糖上的螞蟻，抑或是東坡肉，都超逼真，葉發原放棄穩定工作，追求夢想，意外闖出一片天。
[[皮雕師 葉發原]]
“事實上我在創作之中會一直覺得說，創作者需要有耐久的毅力、長久的奮鬥，以及一股無怨無悔的傻勁去持續做，還沒有名氣的階段就是說，可能好幾個月沒有收入，也曾經想要放棄掉，自己也覺得說，我也許要再調整一下我的腳步跟方法，才能夠去實現我自己的夢想”
[[葉發原太太 許快]]
“我說得一口好皮雕，我可以把他在創作這件作品的時候，比如說他的發想、他的背後創作的靈感，可以做一個比較側面、比較柔性，比較故事性的一些分享”
皮革藝術讓葉發原在國際間嶄露頭角，還進入羅浮宮展出，而曾經擔任藝術導覽員的太太，就是最佳推銷員。
[[皮雕師 葉發原]]
“我在創作之中碰到很多的困難，也曾經想要放棄掉，老鷹給我們的啟示也就是說，要有改變的勇氣跟重生的決心”
慢工出細活的老鷹系列，花了2年，表現出羽毛的柔軟、老鷹雄勁的魅力，猶如葉發原的創作生涯，蹲低，只為展翅高飛。
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