Shanghai, China -- Railway worker Tan Lu from Sichuan won 1st place and a trip for two to Montreal, in a 'trash art' competition recently, with his work made of soda cans, cotton flannel, flexible foam and cardboard.
The artworks made from trash were crowned at the Montreal Case Pavilion, Expo 2010, as winners of Touchmedia's Eco-Art China 2010 competition.
First place winner Tan Lu, who is 33-years old and has impaired hearing, spent 10 days working on his delicate and intricate cutting and engraving artwork called Peony & Phoenix. It was a piece he felt represented the spirit of his community, Mian Yang City, an area still being rebuilt after the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan.
"I hope my work can be exhibited at the Expo to be enjoyed by visitors from all over the world. Let them feel the passion and wisdom of Sichuan people in rebuilding their beautiful homes." Tan said, in a 10 Sept Touchmedia statement.
Two Shanghai artists, Yang Yan and Jun Wang, who won 2nd and 3rd prizes respectively in Eco-Art 2009 both collected 2nd prizes for their 2010 works which used clay, wire mesh, wax, glass, paint, canvas, boxes, insulation and paint.
Two eight-year-olds from Zhang Jia Gang, Hao Huang and Yibei Wang, claimed the third 2nd prize spot with their pair of birds pieced together from Tetrapak milk boxes.
The Eco-Art China campaign aims to motivate the public to rethink their attitude towards garbage and discover the principles of reduce, reuse and recycle by turning 'trash into treasure'. A local green idea inspired by the 2010 World Expo's Better City Better Life theme, and developed by Touchmedia, has helped to fuel global eco passion.
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