Beijing's discards get new life in artwork by Tong Kun
One of the meanings of Ukiyoe could be roughly translated as the world of impermanence or change and no where is this concept more evident than in the work of Beijing-based artist Tong Kun. The 32-year-old started collecting trash from all over the world after he graduated from the prestigious Central Academy of Fine Arts. Piece by piece, he turned them into mesmerizing and thought-provoking works of art. His balancing birds are as much a mechanical wonder to be marveled at as it's a metaphor for the power dynamics in our families and society at large. Yet, what's most extraordinary is how he transmutes those feelings of being undesired, unloved, and useless, into useful, treasured, loved and admired. Here's the story of how an artist gives purpose and meaning to the world around him!