Suzhou Art Center

It was a long drive to the Silk Embroidery outlet located along a quaint quiet lane not far from the city. We were greeted by Mr Silk-man (not his real name) who took us around the studio and showed us the pieces created by the absent  embroiderers. The experience was mind shattering. We stood wonder-struck by the talent and skill displayed in various artwork. The silk embroidery of Socrates, George and Barbara Bush, among others, were so lifelike they looked like photographs. Mr Silk-man pointed out the different stitches and techniques mastered by his embroiderers over years of training cascaded from generations past.

I did not understand most of what he was saying, but I reckoned that if I oohed and aahed at all the right places, he'd never figure that out. Still, the silk pieces were awe-inspiring and had I been born in that part of the world, I would have picked up this craft at once.

Each piece costs about an arm and a leg, and not wishing to part with either, we made our polite excuses and proceeded to our next appointment with Lunch.

Braised Trotter.

Braised innards Rice with veggie. (This was a pleasant surprise. Although it looked dastardly, it tasted great.)

With lunch neatly tucked in our belly, we proceeded to the Suzhou Art Center, which looked like an outdoor park with individual units for the various exhibitionist. The first artist we met was Mr Four-Treasure, a small lean bespectacled man with nervous wringing hands. He was directing his men in the preparation for the exhibition scheduled on the morrow. (We were granted special permission to visit the center before the exhibition.)

Mr Four-Treasure was a soldier, a dancer and a businessman before he found his passion for the arts. His interest spanned between lacquering, embroidery, pottery and brush-painting. For an incredibly talented man, he was deceptively humble. His eyes darted around fretfully and skittish wringing hands adorned with Buddhist beads pointed at the various exhibited pieces as he explained with hurried detail. There were two versions (embroidery/painting) of The Black Beauty. (Picture: Right) The embroidery used a fraction of a silk strand and was so fine as to make the hair look realistic. Mr Four-Treasure explained his techniques with frenzied passion from which it was clear that he'd found his niche. As for the techniques involved, the detail is lost in my oohs-and aahs.

Complementary postcard autographed by Mr Four-Treasure

The piece on the right is a lascivious painting of Yang GuiFei, the infamous Tang Dynasty concubine, loved by the emperor, despised by his subject. She died tragically in the face of a major mutiny by the military when the empire was threatened by invasive forces. Remains of a leaf. For oohing and aahing at all the right places, Mr Four-Treasure presented me with the Bodhi tree leaf. What did I tell you? It pays to ooh-and-aah.

Complementary postcard autographed by Mr Four-Treasure

Mr Four-Treasure showed us his brick pottery oven on the way out. The flawed pottery pieces baked in this oven, were improvised with gold ornaments, each complementing the respective piece. One of his pottery pieces which attracted my attention was a jar with a small opening at the top. The piece was painted with smalt (probably) in lieu of the cobalt blue of ancient Persia. At the small top opening was painted a mass of blue which streamed down on opposite sides into the form of a man and a woman. Gender unity issuing hetero-greatness, I'm surmising was the mastermind of this creation.

The lacquer pieces on display were captivating but one glance at his fingernail was enough to curtail more interest in the craft. Lacquer is a messy medium.

Clearly, this is a man who lived with no regrets. His hands dipped into every jar until he found the one he loved. His loud guffaws betrayed his anxiety but his hospitality was commendable.

Next, he introduced us to Mr Large-Man, the Administrator/Organizer (I'm making an intelligent guess here) of the Event to be held on the morrow. Mr Large-Man led us into an inner room filled with elaborate wood carvings. Now, if I have $2.6 Donated Billion in my pocket, I'd probably exchange them for some of these pieces.

As time was of the essence, we could only accommodate one more visit to the Stone Carver. He was away so his assistant showed us around and explained the nitty-gritty of stone carvings. Once again, the artwork was amazing. Notable amongst many, was one piece inspired by his mother showcasing the daily routine of a matriarch along the Suzhou canal, complete with an arched bridge and running water beneath. (Okay. I was just kidding about the running water. Duh!)

There were intricate carvings of inkstones which attracted my attention, until I saw the price-tag. What remained of my $2.6 Donated Billion would probably end up here.

However, the belle of the ball was a plain stone tray with no intricate carvings. The stone absorbed all spilt tea in seconds and clearly took my breath away. The price-tag shocked me out of my reverie.

Arhhh! Mr Man-With-$2.6-Bil! If only I had a fraction of what you hoarded! (Mr Man-With-$2.6-Bil is a fictional character.  Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.)