"Men rear oysters, women shuck oysters." This is a portrait of life in Wanggong. Starting from a question- "the value of a cast-away oyster shell", cultural workers begin to find a new life for the oyster shells. With the tenacity of the Wanggong people, the cultural workers begin to promote the oyster shell arts in schools and made continuous attempts to encourage creativity development in the students. This is the beginning of oyster shell arts.
In 2003, the Council of Cultural Affairs began to give consultation and assistance and in 2005, the Council of Labor Affairs listed this craft into the Diversified Employment Development Project. The village residents often supply oyster shells voluntarily with enthusiasm and participate in the oyster shell craft exhibition events. The bond in the community began to develop through the oyster shells, but most importantly development of the oyster shell arts brought new business opportunities to this fishing village.
Oyster shell craft is not just a mean to produce souvenirs. It carries a message of love for life, the environment, and the ecology. Oyster shells were once a burden to the environment, but now they have become the material for creative works. It not only solved the environmental problems but also acts to raise awareness of environmental protection. The Oyster Shell Craft Association continues to develop new products from the subjects of Black-faced Spoonbill, White Egrets, the Stilts, and Fiddler Crabs and creativity is the life of oyster shell craft. We wish that development of our art will bring more people to care for and participate in the causes to protect the environment, so that the beaches and the skies of Taiwan will be more and more beautiful every day (information source: Wanggong Oyster Shell Craft Culture Center).
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Discovered by Council for Cultural Affairs in 2003, and received support from Ministry of Labor in 2005 to develop diverse employment projects. Villagers often voluntarily provide oyster shells so that everyone can appreciate the beauty of oyster art. Community interactions and affection are conveyed through the symbolic medium of oyster shells. More importantly, thriving business opportunities are also created within the fishing village through the promotion of oyster art.
Oyster art is more than artwork, it communicates a sense of care about life, environmental protection and ecological conservation. Originally source of pollution, oyster shells are transformed into works of art to resolve the environmental problem.
Inspired by subjects such as black-faced spoonbill, egret, stilt, and owl, the artwork raises the public’s awareness about ecological conservation. Constant R&D and innovation is the source of Wanggong Oyster Craft Culture Center’s creative energy. It is hoped that our efforts will encourage more people to partake in and care about environmental protection and ecological conservation, so that the coast of Taiwan will become more splendid and the sky will become clearer. Information courtesy of: Wanggong Oyster Craft Culture Center.
