04:58Branching out: Chinese artist sculpts giant panda Ya Ya from 3,000 apple orchard stems
Chinese artist Liu Fei has created astonishing sculptures of giant panda Ya Ya, from the twigs and branches of apple trees, as seen in footage from Jinan on Tuesday.
"I have seen the report of Ya Ya since mid-February and have been paying attention to her condition," he explained. "I picked up these branches from the apple orchard, and apple represents peace, so I want Ya Ya to return safely," he continued.
Footage shows the artist in his workshop, working on his creations. The panda took him 10 days and 3,000 branches, and he explained that the technique itself came about almost by chance.
"I used sticks because of a coincidence, also by accident," he admitted. "I felt that these sticks could make something, tried to make some shapes, and then I used these sticks to make a small animal. It was the kind of style I wanted, and I stuck with it, and I've done over a hundred pieces since 2019."
22-year-old giant panda Ya Ya is due to return to China from Memphis Zoo in the Unites States next month. Last year, there were online reports about health concerns, but Chinese experts conducted health evaluations and claimed the animal was well.
04:58Chinese artist Liu Fei has created astonishing sculptures of giant panda Ya Ya, from the twigs and branches of apple trees, as seen in footage from Jinan on Tuesday.
"I have seen the report of Ya Ya since mid-February and have been paying attention to her condition," he explained. "I picked up these branches from the apple orchard, and apple represents peace, so I want Ya Ya to return safely," he continued.
Footage shows the artist in his workshop, working on his creations. The panda took him 10 days and 3,000 branches, and he explained that the technique itself came about almost by chance.
"I used sticks because of a coincidence, also by accident," he admitted. "I felt that these sticks could make something, tried to make some shapes, and then I used these sticks to make a small animal. It was the kind of style I wanted, and I stuck with it, and I've done over a hundred pieces since 2019."
22-year-old giant panda Ya Ya is due to return to China from Memphis Zoo in the Unites States next month. Last year, there were online reports about health concerns, but Chinese experts conducted health evaluations and claimed the animal was well.