Artist’s pre y pebbles cause ripple

Taipei – From Chinese characters to traditional Aboriginal totems, artist Wu Rong-bi has been selling intricately painted pebbles on the streets in Taiwan for the last 40 years.

Dubbed “Uncle Stone” by his fans, the street artist, 64, began painting small rocks as Christmas gifts for his pupils when he was a young teacher.

The idea was a hit and he went on to pass a test to become a licensed busker in Taipei.

Wu sees his paintings as more than decorations – instead they are a way to convey good wishes to his customers.

“I often tell them there is a positive concept behind each stone and I hope they can find it helpful in some ways,” he said at his stand outside a department store in Taipei.

One popular pattern is the leaves of the ginkgo plant. In Mandarin the tree is known as yin hsin, a phrase that also means wishing happiness on someone.

Other pebbles have a fish on them, a positive symbol in Chinese culture because the word for a fish is also a homophone for abundance.

Some creations are inspired by Aboriginal totems, both from Taiwan’s indigenous communities and those overseas.

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