Yu Chenrui, 29, is a maker of automata (机关人偶) in Chengdu, Sichuan. Thanks to him, wood not only comes alive, but also tells wonderful stories.
Yu first learned about automata at a show in 2015 when he studied at the Communication University of China in Beijing. As an art and design student, he began to learn the craft by himself in school.
When he finished school in 2016, Yu got a job at an advertising company in Beijing. At that time, he was not sure that he could make a living out of his hobby. But in 2018, Yu quit his job and returned to Chengdu to open his automata workshop. His hobby has become a career.
Yu has made lots of works in his workshop. At the 2021 World Wood Day, for example, Yu made Three Inputs of Photosynthesis (光合作用). In this woodwork, a naughty dog pees under a tree, while the tree is using the water, carbon dioxide (二氧化碳) in the air and sunshine to produce food and oxygen.
Yu knows that there are many more creative (创造性的) ideas waiting to be shown. "It feels quite good to pay attention to automata and I am still searching for myself. Automata interest people of all ages. Adults see them as art, while children see them as toys to play with." Yu said, smiling.
