Learning a treasured craft
After graduating from high school, Huang Kuosu was accepted into the Department of Industrial Management at National Chin-yi Institute of Technology. Only then did he leave the woodcarving company, traveling to Taichung to continue his studies. Since he was not very interested in industrial management, he used his time outside of classes to expand his knowledge of art, photography, and painting. Discovering the pleasure of studying on his own, he often read and practiced late into the night.
In 1984, Huang Kuosu established his own commercial photography company. Obtaining the large amounts of equipment and capital required for the business proved to be a challenge, however, and Huang's own modest, quiet personality was not suited to the comings and goings of the business world. Thus when he went home on vacation and saw that his third-eldest brother, Huang Sheng-hsiung, had established his own woodcarving studio and was living a happy, simple life in the countryside, Huang Kuosu couldn't help but think of returning to Lukang and taking up the carver's knife again.
Even though it had been years, when Huang came back to his dusty, rusted tools, he could still put them back to work with the same easy familiarity. "In a society changed by modern technology, choosing something as unpopular as woodcarving as your life's work is part fate and partly because you're suited to it. It's also a decision you arrive at after a great deal of thought." Huang Kuosu knows that it was not only the attraction of his old home but also a greater understanding of his own nature that brought him back. Because of this, even though he was coming back to his old job at the age of over 30, he was still happy to work once again as an apprentice.
In 1988, Huang Kuosu began studying three-dimensional sculpture for Buddhist icons with Huang Sheng-hsiung. He started by doing the preliminary rough cuts, finally gaining a full understanding of their design. After a few years of experience in commercial sculpture, Huang's technique became refined and unrestrained. The creative, artistic ideas he had held for many years quickly began to come to fruition, and he wanted to look for a new path for his own creative work.
In 1991, Huang Kuosu happened to see a notice in the newspaper that the Ministry of Education was accepting applications for "students of woodcarving arts." After a few months of screenings and demonstrations of his work, Huang and three other artists were chosen to study under Li Sung-lin, a nationally acclaimed woodcarving master. As part of the three-year "Project for Training Practitioners in Key National Arts," the group met for three days every week at the Changhua County Cultural Center. Their classes covered relief carving, openwork carving, and three-dimensional sculpture for furniture, windows, human figures, and temple decorations.
"Mr. Li was over 80 years old, yet he was healthy in body and strong in spirit," says Huang. He not only would make designs and perform demonstrations on the spot, but also could use each piece of wood according to its different characteristics. What was most moving to us was that even though Mr. Li was at an age where he could be relaxing and playing with his grandkids, he still insisted on doing his creative work and was always enthusiastic. From him I learned more than just carving techniques-I truly expanded my creative point of view. This had a very strong influence on my decision to move from commercial sculpture to purely artistic work."
The Night Procession for Blessing shows a popular religious event unique to Lukang. In this 108-centimeter slab of Taiwan beech, Huang gives shape to his childhood memories.