Page 14 - BCI Bonsai & Stone Appreciation Q1 2025

A Celebration
of Bonsai and Stones
Unforgettable Moments
from the BCI Liuzhou Convention
By Budi Sulistyo, Indonesia. Photos by Budi Sulistyo
Author and BCI Director Budi
Sulistyo observing the V-cut
technique expertly executed
by USA bonsai artists Jack
Rubenstein, and Baowen
Garden’s Li Wencai.
The BCI Liuzhou convention was an extraordinary
event, impeccably organized under the leadership
of Mr. Chen Chang. The scale of the exhibition,
the warm hospitality, and the flawless logistics in such
a vast country were truly remarkable.
Bonsai Exhibition
The bonsai exhibition showcased an incredible variety
of styles and ancient trees. The drooping style at the
entrance immediately conveyed the essence of Chinese
bonsai. Other styles, such as windswept and composi-
tions incorporating unique rock formations, added
depth and richness to the display.
12 | BCI | January/February/March 2025
A unique Technique at the Bonsai
Demonstrations
One of the highlights for me was the bonsai demon-
stration by Jack Rubenstein from the USA, assisted by
Li Wencai, an artist from Chen Chang’s Garden. Like
the other artists, they worked on an old Podocarpus,
a challenging material requiring creative approaches.
While many demonstrators used thick wires to bend
trunks and branches or created new apices by cutting
off thick upper trunks, Jack and Li employed a unique
technique. They made a V-cut (also called a wedge cut)
in the thick trunk with a saw, used a guy wire to bring
the cambium on either side of the cut together, and