The West has its Easter Eggs, but painting on egg shells is also part of Chinese folk art tradition. Zhao Wei is an artist, who not only paints, but carves and even embroiders on egg shells. On her tiny canvases, she captures legends, folk scenes and the Olympic mascots. On today's The List, we meet Zhao Wei, who portrays the world on small egg shells.
Chinese folk themes, like these traditional New Year series, are a favorite with Zhao Wei. Her works also include carved zodiacs and embroidered figures. Decades of experience have enabled Zhao to easily sketch a figure with a few strokes, all that's needed for her tiny canvases.
Born in Tianjin, Zhao Wei inherited her artistic genes from her father who was also artistically talented. She liked to paint from the time she was a little girl.
Her fascination with egg shells started in 1970, when she went to work in the countryside in Heilongjiang province.
There she found plenty of materials for her craft. The hobby would remain with her for over thirty years.
