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Wrexham tree carver invited to international event after impressing sculptor on Facebook

A Wrexham tree carver will be leaving his mark on one of Japan’s largest lavender gardens after impressing a top sculptor on social media.

Award-winning Simon O’Rourke has been invited by Japanese artist Keiji Kidokoro to take part in a chainsaw carving show at Lavender Park in Taka, 40 miles away from Japan’s third biggest city Osaka.

The two wood sculptors will work together after Keiji saw Simon’s masterpieces on Facebook.

Art created at the show will then take centre stage at the park, which is the size of five rugby pitches and features 16,000 lavender plants, all planted by Taka residents.

Simon is thrilled to be heading back out to Japan, where he competed in one of his first international tournaments, for the show between 4 and 8 December.

Simon said: “Keiji is very well known as one of the world’s leading sculptors. He could have picked anyone but has chosen me after seeing some of my recent work on Facebook.

“It’s an honour to have been asked by Keiji to assist in this project.

“It’s still to be decided what we will carve, and I like the surprise and mystery surrounding it. He could even say to me ‘carve what you like’, and then I will have to get my thinking cap on.

“Heading back out to Japan also brings back memories of one of my first international competitions, which was held in Toei in 2006.

“I finished third out of 75 competitors and it helped kick-start my wood carving career.”

The project with Keiji is Simon’s first international commission and marks the end of a successful year for the Rossett tree carver.

In 2015 he became the first UK-based sculptor to win the English Open Chainsaw Carving Competition for a fourth time, and crafted a stunning Sulawesi macaque, which takes pride of place at Chester Zoo’s £40m islands project.

He also branched out into ice carvings, playing a central role in the masterpieces on display at Cardiff’s 2015 Winter Wonderland, including horses, dragons, and rugby players.

Simon, who launched Simon O’Rourke Tree Carving in 2005, also specialises in bespoke wooden jewellery and accessories such as bow ties, cufflinks and wedding rings.

For more information visit www.treecarving.co.uk. To follow Simon in Japan, like his Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/simonorourketreecarving.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sam Harris .