It takes a lot of skill to grow something for decades and have it remain so tiny.
Riverside bonsai artist Che Vincent has been shaping miniature trees since he was a teenager, and 40 years on, some of his earliest creations are still growing with him.
Che reckons there is something really quite magical about bonsai, the Japanese art of cultivating miniature trees in containers.
“It’s a constantly evolving sculpture,” he says. “You’re negotiating with the plant in terms of its responses. You’re trying to shape it, and it’s got its own ideas of what it wants to do.”
The aim, Che explains, is to create a realistic, aged tree with a gnarly trunk that tapers quickly, essentially the form of a mature tree but at about 1/50th the size. The artform can be as formal or as fanciful as the grower wants, and much of the joy lies in finding the tree’s patterns, flushing the growth out, then pulling it back in again.
After decades of dabbling, Che is now upscaling his operation. He has established a bonsai nursery holding many hundreds of trees cultivated from good stock. Alongside traditional species such as pines and maples, he is trialling natives including kowhai and korokia, and says demand for these varieties is high.
Che will be at the upcoming Richmond Plant Market, where he will run a bonsai workshop using his trident maples, which he describes as a really good beginner species. Costs will depend on the chosen tree, which will be at least four years old, and prices start at $150.
The Richmond Plant Market will be held at the Richmond School hall on Cambridge Street on Saturday, 21 March, from 10am to 2pm. Gold coin entry. To book Che’s workshop, email chevincent16@gmail.com.
