City of Joy' heralds Olympiad with palm art

Kolkata, Aug.9 : A Chinese artist in Kolkata has brought alive thepirit of the Olympics here through paintings made by his palms and fingers.

Fifty-six-year-old Guan Yaojiu paints mountains using his palms and fingernstead of paint brushes.

He has dedicated this palm art piece to the ongoing Olympic Games ineijing.

Yaojiu also makes dragons, which are revered by the Chinese, with the helpf fine Chinese brushes.

Yaojiu uses his palm swiftly to bring about clarity on the canvas.

For his mountain paintings Yaojiu usually uses black, but adds shades ofrown and green to some of his works.

His unique art pieces have been given a place of pride in the Olympicommemoration Book published on the occasion of the Beijing Olympics thatomprises the works of 108 artists.

Yaojiu's has one regret in life that the Olympic Express has his mural onragons, painted with brushes and not the mountains that he paints with hisalms.

The dragons were an automatic choice for the Olympic almanac, as theyepresent the highest form of power in China.

Guan Yaojiu is one of the most respected artists in China. He is a guestrofessor at the Yunnan Tourist Culture University and also the chief artistf the Art Academy of Oil. By Soma Mitra

ANI