The Troweling World of Cement Artist Ah Hong

A cement life from bitter to sweet

Ah Hong was in a gifted and talented program in junior high school, and tested into the prestigious National Tainan Second Senior High School. But when he was 15 his family, deep in debt, did a midnight flit, and his dreams of further education ended. He worked at construction sites alongside his uncle, carrying heavy bags of cement and shouldering the burden of supporting his family.

His grandfather and uncles were all professional cement masons, and he says with a laugh: “I had six masters training me as the only apprentice.” The basic tasks of carrying bags of cement and mixing mortar were physically demanding. Ah Hong’s education in cement was based on watching the master masons at work and figuring out what they were doing, though he had to stay on his toes to bring them whatever materials they wanted when they wanted them. One mistake and the professionals would get so angry they would slam their tools to the ground.

Learning by trial and error, Ah Hong mastered the job. There are many tasks to masonry, from floor screeding and gap filling to bricklaying and tiling, and each one must be done precisely. Ah Hong remarks with a smile that it took him five years as an apprentice before he began earning a master mason’s pay, indicating that it was only then that his teachers finally approved of his ability to complete each task properly. Precisely because he is well aware that training in cement masonry is not easy, he often shares tricks of the trade online, and in recent years he has systematized his experiences into a book of techniques.

Ah Hong initially grew a beard to appear more reliable, but it eventually became his trademark. 

Ah Hong has been wielding his trowel as a cement mason for over 30 years. Though his finger joints have long since become misshapen, he has no complaints.

I am proud of my trade

Most people think of cement masons as uncouth, unkempt, and careless, but Ah Hong is different. When he talks about the details of masonry it is as if he is talking about fine art, and he is especially meticulous about smooth finishes and clean edging. He neither smokes nor chews betelnut, keeps his warehouse well organized, and insists that work sites be tidy. His self-discipline and attention to detail are far from what most people imagine when they think of masons.

Since the advent of the blogging era, Ah Hong has shared his works and techniques online. He forthrightly uses Shuini Gong (“cement mason”) as the Chinese name of his Facebook fan page, showing respect for his profession. Long years of a good word-of-mouth reputation have even led to Ah Hong being invited to Hong Kong to demonstrate how to make feature walls in fair-faced concrete. The respect he has received from international interlocutors has made him aware of the value of being a master craftsman, and he says that the skills needed for cement masonry are carved into the bodies of professionals who cannot be replaced by machines or AI. “Taiwan is second to none in the workmanship, skills, and attitudes of its master masons.” Quality is his greatest source of confidence.

By layering cement-based paint, using either his trowel or his hands, Ah Hong creates different levels of shading through precise 3D sculpting. The picture shows his depiction of a lake’s rocky shore.

Ah Hong treats large square spreaders, trowels, and serrated spatulas—the everyday tools of a cement mason—as paintbrushes, turning cement into beautiful works of art.

Cement, normally seen as rough and crude, can also be used to depict a delicate female figure.

Ah Hong was able to make this colorful painting by adding pigments to white cement and accompanying it with stencil impressions and printed materials.

A serendipitous opportunity to teach a class in cement trowel painting on canvas opened a new artistic path for Ah Hong. By creatively using masonry tools, each step of layering and scraping leads to unique patterns.

Treating walls as blind boxes

In the past, cement work played only a supporting role in architecture. After a wall was finished with a smooth cement render, it was covered up by paint, tiles, or wood paneling. But with the rise of fair-faced concrete and the wabi-sabi style of interior design, which finds beauty in original materials, minimalism, and imperfection, white cement has become a center of attention.

Once a woodworker friend of Ah Hong’s invited him to teach a class in cement trowel painting on canvas. He began treating cement as a medium and his trowel as a paintbrush, with each step of layering and scraping leading to unique patterns.

For people who appreciate his style, he decorates feature walls with his artworks. Operating without a preliminary sketch, he ad libs on the spot. He says with a chuckle that each feature-wall artwork is like “opening a blind box.” The variations in depth as the cement dries, and the changes in light and shadow produced by light projected against each surface, are impossible to repeat exactly—they are creative products exclusive to the moment.

From his days as an overworked apprentice to his freewheeling troweled art of the present day, Ah Hong’s life is proof that “working a trade is a very cool thing!” 

Ah Hong shares his skills and experience with the public. Working a trade enables him to live his best life, support his family, and make his days more colorful. (courtesy of Nijohn)

Ah Hong takes his children to worksites to learn masonry skills, how to stay grounded, and the value of hard work. (courtesy of Nijohn)

Ah Hong often jokingly refers to his son and daughter as “second- generation trade workers”; they are capable helpmates. The three are shown here happily posing in front of a completed feature wall. (courtesy of Nijohn)