Pencil lead carving11/25/2023 ![]() Being quite nearsighted, he doesn’t use a magnifying glass or microscope instead, he removes his eyeglasses while carving, relying solely on his naked eyes. Steady hand, steady heartĪn 11-year veteran sculptor, Lee Chien-chu insists on using only one pencil per work. The beauty of his designs and his meticulous craftsmanship transcend national and linguistic boundaries, sparking greater interest in the art of pencil carving. Lee has made friends with artists internationally and inspired many others. “It’s great to interact with fellow enthusiasts,” he says. Despite his limited English, he patiently responds to all inquiries with the help of translation software, generously sharing his knowledge. Veterans and novices alike seek his advice on tools and carving techniques. When I’m not at work or with my family, I spend most of my time carving.” Lee’s Instagram postings of his work have elicited avid responses from pencil carvers the world over. He came up with a solution: he purchased a set of instruments like those used by watchmakers and opticians and ground the tips into different shapes, creating his own pencil carving tools. For Lee, the difficult part was finding tools suited to working with pencil leads of only a few millimeters in diameter. Ghetti, an American artist who’s been carving pencils since 1986.” That opened the door to a new world for Lee.Ĭommercially available pencils with graphite leads are pencil carvers’ raw material. “After a friend saw them, he suggested that I try carving pencil leads. Lee once carved mini-versions of traditional Chinese long-handled weapons from bamboo chopsticks for his children. Then at 28 he married and became a father. ![]() After university, he returned home and found work at a petrochemicals plant. “Before pencil art, my life could be summed up in three sentences.” Lee grew up on a farm. The work has been certified by Guinness World Records.Īn environmental engineering major, Lee Chien-chu didn’t start pencil sculpting until he was 37 years old. In 2020, Lee Chien-chu, a pencil sculptor who had never studied painting or engraving, carved a 168-link chain out of a 7×3-millimeter woodworking pencil lead, each link measuring only 3×2 mm. To date, Cheng is the only non-Japanese winner of the contest. ![]() In 2016, diorama artist Hank Cheng, who had been making miniatures for less than a year, bested contestants from around the world to claim a double championship at the prestigious Japan Hamamatsu Diorama Grand Prix with his Thank You for Taking Care of Me, a 1:24-scale model Japanese eel restaurant. With a table, a lamp, carving tools and endless patience, Lee Chien-chu creates amazing new worlds in minute spaces. ![]()
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