At the indoor exhibition hall at the workshop, there are many works of Master Shih. We classified them into two categories: horizontal and vertical. They are introduced according to the age of creation as follows:

Generations

     Taro, sweet potato, and bamboo are common plants in countryside. As they grow fast, they are used to stand for strong vitality. Successive generations are the wishes of people.

 (1997) cinnamomum kanehirae

Meditation

     It presents a scene of old men playing Chinese chess outside a temple. That was a scene witnessed by Master Chin-fu Shih. One bench, two elderly people, and one chessboard. They were racking their brains to win the other. Master Shih adopted subtle carving to show the focused looks of them.

(1999) cinnamomum kanehirae

Millennium Dragon

     It was made in 2000, a year of dragon. The dragon presents traditional carving techniques, while the kids were done by modern carving techniques. We claim ourselves to be descendants of dragon. There are a total of 12 children, each standing for a month. As time goes by, we have entered the age of science and technology. Every child seems to run out of a computer and climbs to play on the dragon.

(2000) cinnamomum kanehirae

Breakthrough All Difficulties

     Pine, bamboo and plum are three plants growing in winter. They present the unyielding spirit in spite

of difficulties. It was carved with delicate techniques and presents the unshakable determination.

 (2001) cinnamomum kanehirae

Concept

     In 2008, financial turmoil occurred. Everyone was short of money and rush for money. That was a year of rat. Thus, the work is about two mice fighting for ingots. The rising outer corners of the eyes of the mice and other traditional techniques were used to present the movement of the rats. In an environment where people viewed money as important as life, one should consider the topic on how to use money. Idioms with a meaning of health were carved as decoration on the eyes. It integrated both tradition and modernity.

(2008) cinnamomum kanehirae

New York

     This work was carved on an entire piece of phoebe zhennan. As no one had paid attention to the topic, Master Shih wanted to have a try. Most craftsmen considered that a buffalo had impulsion, thus it was a good choice to present meaning. In contrast, a dairy cattle lacked motility and is more difficult to create. The work presents a dating scene of two dairy cattle, one static and one dynamic. The pronunciation of date of cattles (niu yue) is similar with that of New York (niu yue). He used different gestures of each cattle to present the feeling and style of New York, a metropolis in the United States on the base.

 (2009) phoebe zhennan

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Scope

     Master Shih had engaged in traditional woodcarving for a long time, so he wanted to change and break the tether of tradition and integrate modernity in his works to arise resonance of offspring. He used tools to carve a cod fish delicately and adopted the original color of the wood and colored painting to express his expectation. He used a fish leaping over the dragon gate to stand for the breakthrough of traditional areas.

 (2009) cinnamomum kanehirae

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Tiger

     The shape of tiger was shown in a realistic manner. Based on previous memory and experience of traditional patterns, he carved 118 tiger spots to decorate the tiger. The tiger is in an action of jumping. The action, shape, and structure of the tiger show the memory of ferocious and powerful tigers and expectation for treasures and "avoidance of evil spirits and praying for fortune" of common people.

(2010) phoebe zhennan

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Craftsman

     Recalling the life 50 years ago, craftsmen then had plain and hard-working virtue. "Their work was from sun to sun." They made skillful works with their hands and efforts, conducive to the public.

(1998) cinnamomum kanehirae

Old and Young

     The main subject of the work is the old woman. A diligent woman is making lanterns while watching her grandson. The kind facial expression of the old with the signs of aging and the innocent expression of the child form a sweet picture. The work is a recall of the scene.

(1999) cinnamomum kanehirae

Rabbit & the Moon

     In the early years, lamp is not yet developed. The moon was very clear, seen from the earth. It seemed that every night there was a rabbit on it. Master Chin-fu Shih carved his memory in his works. The two rabbits were carefully designed. The rugged rabbit was used to set off the realistic one.

(1990) cinnamomum kanehirae

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A Girl's Dream

     This girl is thinking about dancing with the people she likes, so she smiles. What she is thinking is manifested in her face, eyes, nose, and mouth.

(2000) cinnamomum kanehirae

 Insight

     The Goddess of Mercy stands on lotus with her palms together devoutly. The hollowing technique rendered the statue an expression different from solemnity. The Goddess had a round body with a lotus blooming inside her body. The other three lotuses are around her. It represents her pure Buddhist nature. It is carved on a whole piece of cinnamomum kanehirae with skillful hollowing technique. It presents the spatial world inside the Goddess and her infinite power after comprehending life.

 (2003) cinnamomum kanehirae

Harvest

     The works is in the shape of a sweet potato which is similar to the shape of Taiwan. Inside it, there are 49 kinds of seafood, including dolphin, squid, starfish, moray eel, sea bream, octopus, crab, calliostoma koma, brittle starfish, coral, jellyfish, seahorse, fiddler crab, mudskipper, monk crab, limulus , hermit crab, white pomfret, white octopus, shrimp, turtle, flying fish, and sunfish. The limited space contains rich seafood to present the abundant of the sea vividly.

(2004) cinnamomum kanehirae

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Succeed

     The whole wood was pieced together by 600 pieces of mersawa and 600 pieces of chamaecyparis formosensis. The craftsman carved patterns while maintaining the natural beauty of the wood. The layers of the work become higher and higher, standing for growth, hope, and the expectation of breakthrough. It also symbolizes the persistent efforts of people of the 1960s who endeavored to have baby boys.

(2005)

Resonance

     Moving music is played by instruments from the west and the east. Audience is greatly touched. Light shines on the audience. Performers are dancing on the platform along with the music. It shows a happy scene of music and dance.

 (2006) pseudotsuga menziesii

Thought

     An unconstrained technique was adopted to carve the figure in meditation and the inner thoughts of the heroine. Facing a dilemma, she remains unhurried and beautiful.

(2007) pseudotsuga menziesii

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Six Organs, Six Senses, and Six Sense Objects

     People have six senses via six organs (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind) and then six sense objects. Six organs were carved as decoration. (Hearing—ear, taste—tongue) The beauties of body movements, thoughts, and facial expression are integrated differently.

 (2008) cinnamomum kanehirae

A Dream of Snake

     According to traditional folk concept, if one dreams a snake, he shall worship the Earth God as snake is the messenger of the God. The Earth God was carved in traditional techniques with the snake as his background. Modern mindset of creation is employed to show the pursuit of dream.

(2008) chamaecyparis formosensis

Beauty

     The beauty was carved by a whole piece of wood. Her lower body has decoration of bats which are traditional patterns. The craftsman skillfully integrated tradition in modern figure and combined modern texture with traditional carving technique of grass and flower to present a different style.

 (2012) chamaecyparis formosensis

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