'Scavenger of the sea' makes a splash with debris artwork

Transforming debris into artworks

Rather than viewing the debris as mere waste, Fu considers these objects as materials for his public art projects. And his work often draws inspiration from the ancient Chinese philosophy of the five elements (or wuxing), categorizing the relationship between nature and civilization into five aspects: life, nature, energy, construction and technology.

This approach allows him to explore the symbiosis between modern and ecological civilizations. He is also inspired by the ancient mortise and tenon structures used in Chinese architecture, Fu's installations are often designed to be assembled and disassembled, symbolizing the importance of recyclability.

Last November, to better understand Fu and his work, Zhang Shiqin, who is currently doing her doctorate at the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom on the topic of the presentation of trash in literature and art, visited Fu in Changdao and spent a whole day collecting floating objects. 29-year-old Zhang was deeply touched by his spirit and passion.

"Fu Junsheng is committed to incorporating traditional Chinese aesthetics and philosophy into his work, which I think is a very powerful impact and deconstruction of Western-centrism in contemporary waste art," she said.

Some of Fu's art works have been presented at the beach or in galleries in different cities or regions, letting the public truly see the contradiction and conflict between human civilization and nature, and inspiring their action.

For instance, Zhang Xu, a 30-year-old visitor to one of Fu's exhibitions in Beijing, was moved to participate in beach clean-ups on an uninhabited island in Changdao this year. In contrast to the managed and relatively clean tourist attraction beaches, the uninhabited island Zhang visited was unexpectedly littered with waste, which changed her perception toward marine protection. She noted that Fu's work goes beyond environmental protection, serving as a powerful reminder of the importance of proper waste disposal and marine conservation.