Waste silk is a type of textile waste that is often used as rags. In the past, people would often stuff it into the back seat of a bicycle and take it out to wipe the bike whenever they wanted.
However, there is a Shanghai uncle named Uncle Bi who specializes in creating art using recycled silk. Uncle Bi's real name is Bi Qinpu. He graduated from a technical school in his early years, taught himself to draw, and later worked as a graphic designer in a publishing house and a television station before retiring eight years ago. He has done many book cover designs, as well as designed the medals for the first East Asian Games and the logo for Shanghai Oriental Television. His works were selected for an exchange exhibition held at the Louvre Museum in France in 2004.
Since the 1980s, Bi Qinpu has been experimenting with painting using recycled silk. Even after retirement, he continued to create various experimental works in a small studio converted from a balcony. The Paper reporter discovered this talented gentleman at a crafts exhibition at Shanghai Yifu Vocational School.
Bi Qinpu is making silk paintings in his balcony studio, with a basket next to him filled with colored silk scraps he had collected in the past.
In the painting section of the arts and crafts exhibition at Shanghai Yifu Vocational School, there was a piece that looked like an oil painting from afar, but upon closer inspection, it was made of cotton thread. It was rich in color and had a textured feel. When asked, the organizers explained that it was a painting made from recycled silk threads.
Waste yarn—the term sounds ancient now. But those born before the 1990s might vaguely recall it, as bicycle seats back then were often stuffed with wads of colorful cotton yarn. People used them to wipe the bikes or apply oil, then casually tucked them back under the seat. Waste yarn is a waste product from textile production, essentially a free rag. It's elastic like a sponge and won't fall out like a regular rag when tucked under the seat.
The silk scroll painting created by Bi Qinpu
Back in the day, almost every bicycle had a wad of silk stuffed under the seat, which could be pulled out at any time to wipe the frame and then stuffed back in.
This stuff can actually be framed? While viewing the exhibition, the artist, Uncle Bi, happened to be standing next to the artwork, so I quickly got his contact information. Back home, I dug out decades-old yarn and a large bag of white recycled yarn. I contacted Uncle Bi to ask if he needed any raw materials. He said he had plenty of white yarn at home, but he could consider colored yarn. I couldn't remember what colored recycled yarn looked like, but driven by curiosity, I went to Uncle Bi's house and saw those baskets of colorful childhood memories.
The drawing board is a type of fiberboard used in furniture making. It has a texture and the fibers can be directly glued on without any adhesive.
He calmly demonstrated the process of creating silk reel paintings. He used neither glue nor any paint; the boards he used were textured fiberboards. "These fiberboards are the back panels used in furniture making in the past. These are all old items. They're almost impossible to find now." He painted leisurely, with a plastic basket beside him filled with silk reelings of various colors, like a painter's palette. He would pick up a small amount with tweezers, place it on the fiberboard, press it down, and the reeling would stick. Then he would add more reelings little by little according to his own ideas.
Uncle Bi said he started collecting these things in the 1980s. One day, he suddenly had a whimsical idea: what would it be like to use recycled silk to paint? "The initial experimental works were definitely terrible, but they got better and better with each attempt." Uncle Bi admits he doesn't have much talent, but he's willing to keep repeating the same steps. Persistence pays off.
In this small studio converted from a balcony, he created increasingly mature works. He brought out a horse head with a three-dimensional feel, because next year is the Year of the Horse. I thought Uncle Bi just liked to make some seasonal works, but I didn't expect him to bring out many large-scale works, each with a different style.
His latest work, "Horse," demonstrates how even recycled silk can be used to create a three-dimensional piece.
The artwork is titled "Gathering," depicting sparrows huddling together for warmth.
Bi Shu was inspired to create a painting after visiting the Maijishan Grottoes.
For red fish, the treatment of gradient colors requires a high level of skill.
Inspired by Dunhuang murals
Some works imitate the Dunhuang murals, while others are inspired by the Maijishan Grottoes. There are works in the style of Wu Guanzhong's Jiangnan water towns, as well as works in Klein Blue that were once popular. "The soul of art is imagination. It must be interesting and give new life to the various materials around us. The new era needs diverse expressions and integrates individuality into diversity," said Bi Shu. "Make use of what is useless, let what disappears not be lost, recycle, and record the times, knowledge, and experiences."
In 2004, Bi Shu participated in an exchange exhibition at the Louvre Museum in France.
He has persisted for so many years without ever giving up. I asked him what motivated him so much. Uncle Bi said he had once participated in an exhibition at the Louvre Museum in France. Uncle Bi calmly pulled out photos from home, taken in 2004. At that time, the French Artists' Association held an annual salon in the Carrousel Hall of the Louvre, inviting artists from various countries to participate and exchange ideas, mainly to showcase the diversity of artistic creation. It was this exhibition that deeply inspired Uncle Bi and motivated him to continue creating.
Bi Shu's Louvre exhibition work, "Peace and Prosperity Every Year".
But Uncle Bi said he was entirely self-taught in drawing. "I just love reading. I graduated from a technical school and studied foundry work, which has nothing to do with drawing. But I love drawing, so I drew on my own, and gradually I even learned to draw comics." Because of his skill in drawing, he went to work for a publishing house as an art editor, drawing comics in addition to designing books. I didn't expect Uncle Bi to be a veteran in media publishing, having done a lot of book design. I should call him "Old Master." "Old Master" pointed to a row of books on the bookshelf and introduced that he had participated in the design of many books back then.
bookcase
Medals designed by Bi Shu for the first Shanghai East Asian Games
He also pulled out a medal from the 1993 East Asian Games, which he designed, and he also designed the technical manuals and competition guides for 12 events. The "old master" produced a book, revealing that he also designed the logo for Shanghai Oriental Television. "Back then (1992-1993), it was the early days of the television station, and there was a logo design competition. My design was ultimately chosen." Finally, the "sun and seagull" design created by Bi Qinpu was selected as the logo for Shanghai Oriental Television.
The "Old Master" later went on to work at a television station, where he remained until retirement. At the time, he was in charge of the visual design for a 6:30 PM program. Back then, computers were rare, and few people knew how to create effects for television visuals; it was a highly skilled job. Although the "Old Master" didn't understand English, he was willing to study diligently, using reverse thinking to find information, and he managed to master the operating methods. Everyone called him "Teacher Bi." Teacher Bi said, "People should constantly try and explore. You may not have talent, but constant repetition will yield results."
For him, creating silk paintings is more like a diary; seeing each painting brings back memories of the life associated with it. A diary doesn't necessarily have to be seen by others, and neither does creation. He believes that art requires a certain obsession: "To layer discarded materials into real souls. I think art isn't far away; it's in the details you overlook every day, waiting for thoughtful people to discover and explore it." He believes creation should be varied; even random threads can express the brilliance of art. It requires constant experimentation, breaking down the old to build the new.
Uncle Bi is indeed a nostalgic person. He still keeps a Sanwu brand grandfather clock in his home, and the furnishings bear the marks of time. Chrysanthemums are drying in the sunlight in his study; he said he grew them himself. He said he doesn't like traveling after retirement, and his life is already full. Every afternoon he picks up his granddaughter from school—an important part of his routine. At the end of our conversation, Uncle Bi took out a vintage black USB drive. He said he had recently finished editing a photography collection and was handing it in that day. Before leaving, we talked about AI painting. Uncle Bi said AI cannot replace art because it lacks the human soul. "The memory of an era is irreplaceable. Labor created the world; only through action can beauty be created—that's my belief. Waste materials bear the traces of people's lives; they can be reassembled into works of art with soul."
