Making Art Boxes

Imagination. Complexity. Enjoyment. Intrigue. A sense of wonder. These emotions radiate from the creations of Po Shun Leong, an acclaimed woodworker who fashions magnificent, detailed and one-of-a-kind wood boxes. Inspired during his childhood by a huge wooden model of an ocean liner, Start with simple shapes, then incorporate rectangles and squares into more fantastic and always surprising frameworks. The entire process of creation ¿ from inspiration to sketching, sanding, finishing, and bleaching ¿ is about ¿magic and drama¿, claims Leong, and every design proves that point. Some figures take their inspiration from surrealist art, while others feature clean oval shapes surrounding totems and towers. The highly intricate ¿Modern Times¿ takes its name from the Chaplin film and began a series of wall-mounted boxers; it has elements recalling cogs, wheels, and other machinery parts. ¿Mask Boxes¿ capture aspects of tribal art, and various ¿Pompeii¿ vessels widen at the top ¿ providing a powerful image of volcanic explosion.