Chen’s World

A grain of sand, A sesame seed, noodles, the heads of ants, a toothbrush bristle, a strand of hair, the wings of a fly, a paper clip, a pumpkin seed, the tip of a matchstick, dental floss, the wick of a candle, a diamond and a flower petal... no surface is too small a canvas for 48-year-old Taiwan-born miniaturist Chen Forng-shean to write and draw on.

Both President Chen Shui-bian and Lien Chan, the opposition’s candidate in last month’s presidential election in Taiwan, may be used to enormous billboards, but they will need a powerful magnifying glass to see their faces and names on a single sesame seed measuring 0.3 centimeters in length and 0.2 centimeters in width.

Chen Forng-shean, Taiwan’s pride in his area of expertise, enjoys following history closely when it is being written. In fact, he zeroes in on the newsmakers in his art and craft.

Years ago, he drew the faces of former American President Bill Clinton and White House intern Monica Lewinsky on the red tip of an ordinary matchstick. He wrote their Chinese names on the same surface, adding for title five bigger Chinese characters that translated to mean "engaging in illicit office romance".

Life’s big challenge for Hsintien-based Chen consists of breaking records in scaling down his art to an incredibly small size.

Chen spent three months creating "the smallest dinosaur in the world". measuring 2.5 millimeters from head to tail and 2 millimeters from head to feet.

"The mini-dinosaur made of latex material did not come about overnight," says Chen. "I kept trying. After close to a hundred failed attempts, I finally created the three-dimensional dinosaur."

The pony-tailed Chen explains that he produced the dinosaur using a magnifying glass capable of enlarging an object at least 15 times its original size.

Chen recalls: "I once accidentally dropped the dinosaur on the carpet. It took me about three hours to find it. I almost crushed it with my foot."

A lilliputian world best appreciated when seen through a magnifying glass is what Chen has been creating in the last 23 years. The entire second floor of his residence in Hsintien, Taipei County, has been transformed since 1997 into a museum of his masterpieces. About 40 works, all collector’s items, are on view at any given time. He comes up with an average of four pieces a year. He takes his time in realizing his ambitious projects, each one a labor of love.

"Working on insects has been by far the most difficult," remarks Chen. He succeeded in introducing several Tang dynasty verses on the gossamer wings of a dragonfly. On the head of an ant, he wrote four Chinese characters, which said: "Teamwork brings success."

Louis Cha, author of well-known Chinese classics on the chivalry and prowess of ancient swordsmen, was impressed when he learned that Chen tried to retell his story of the trapped Hsiao Lung Nu, who sent her lover a desperate plea for rescue from the bottom of a well by writing on the wings of a bee and then releasing it. In Chen’s case, he scribbled the six-character message on the wings of a fly.

Chen copied 12 Tang dynasty verses on a dental floss, 30 verses on noodles, and a verse on a sewing thread. Chen’s recent accomplishments after many trials and errors include crafting six pandas and putting them in the eye of one needle to highlight the smallness of their size.

Eight illustrated classics, which Chen has produced in thumbnail edition and in their original languages, have been the items which have brought him the most satisfaction.

"The first one–Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in English–was finished only after about two years," he reveals. "I slowly learned to deal with all kinds of problems. I did not get discouraged at all by my mistakes."

Believe it or not, the tiny illustrated book has 56 pages.

He also copied other children’s tales from different countries like The Little Polar Bear in English, The Frog Prince in German, The Little Prince in French, and Momotaro in Japanese.

Another project for the record was his reproduction of the 38-page Three Hundred Tang Dynasty Verses. The calligrapher patiently copied 10,000 Chinese characters in a size visible only under a powerful magnifying glass.

The Little Polar Bear, a story well-loved by Swiss children, was reduced further not very long ago to the size of 0.9 millimeter by 0.8 millimeter.

Anyone aspiring to be a miniaturist must first acquire basic skills like drawing and writing calligraphy. Lessons in chi kung are useful for he must be able to hold his breath and keep his hands steady.

Good eyesight also calls for regular exercises. For his part, Chen stays close to nature, training his eyes to look in the distance.

Chen, who does not wear corrective lenses of any kind despite the nature of his work, attributes his excellent vision to good genes. According to him, a simple and light diet likewise helps him stay visually healthy.

Eye strain, which comes after working lengthily on a project, serves to remind Chen to take a break. When this happens, he picks up the calligrapher’s big brush, creating with bold, sweeping strokes an enormous work of art in a different medium.

Chen, a graduate of art and design from a vocational school in Taipei, works as an engraver at the China Engraving and Printing Works, a job he has held for more than 20 years. This plant handles the printing of currency bills in Taiwan. Chen sees to it that the extremely fine lines on the crisp paper bills come out clear and flawless.

Chen opens up his private museum to visitors on Sundays, when he sometimes gives on-the-spot demonstrations of his rare skill. Indeed, to see is to believe.