Under Li Yanhong's expert touch, rough birch bark is meticulously peeled off before being separated into up to 40 layers, each of a different tint. Switching between a pair of scissors and a carving knife, the artisan from Bailang town, Arxan in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, adeptly cuts, folds, pastes, twists and carves the paper-thin layers into different shapes and sizes.
She then mounts them to create a simple, yet elegant bark picture.
Because of the differences in pigmentation between its outer and inner layers, birch bark produces dozens of hues, from silver gray, ash white and off-white, to brownish yellow, pink gold, gray-green, gray orange, and earthy yellow.
"At the same time, it has dense fibers, and a seamless texture, and layers as delicate as paper, which makes it an ideal material for art," Li says, adding that the bark is also waterproof as a result of its oil content, which makes her creations durable. "The best-selling part of my art is that its rich natural colors won't fade away."
With the arrival of winter, Li and her team have been busy producing the distinctive local art for tourists. "They are wildly popular with travelers, especially young people," Li says excitedly.
