Written/Compiled by MOOK Travel Life Network’s Chen Guanxin
Aside from the panda cub Yuan Zai sparking a panda craze at Taipei Zoo, another wave of panda fever is expected this March with an upcoming paper panda exhibition in Taipei. The paper panda artist Paulo Grangeon recently came from France to Taiwan specifically to create a handmade paper sculpture of the “Formosan Black Bear” for the “Pandas Go to Taipei: Panda Installation Art Exhibition (PANDAS WORLD TOUR ~ TAIPEI).” He also visited the Formosan Black Bear area at Taipei Zoo to observe the bear’s features and form firsthand, aiming to add more conservation-related themes to the upcoming installation art show. Given that Formosan Black Bears are mostly black, the creation process posed additional challenges. Paulo continuously experimented and refined details such as the bear’s color, body shape, and eye expression—drawing and redrawing, tweaking and adjusting—hoping to present a uniquely crafted paper sculpture of the Formosan Black Bear at the exhibition.
![](\"/pic/20200314/93d0ec21048d2d1d87cdab8532db0827.jpg\")
Paulo Grangeon carefully paints the black bear paper model. (Photo provided by Taipei City Government – Department of Information and Tourism)
The paper sculpture of the “Formosan Black Bear” hit a creative roadblock? Paulo said that when he first started sketching, he studied various photos of the Formosan Black Bear’s poses in great detail. Though he was initially quite satisfied with the draft, he encountered significant issues when preparing to paint the bear. In the photos, aside from the distinctive white fur on the chest, the bears were entirely black. After painting for a while, he felt something was missing. Eventually, Paulo decided to come to Taiwan in person to see the real Formosan Black Bear and capture its most authentic essence.
On the day of the zoo visit, with sunshine pouring down, Paulo finally got to face the national treasure of Taiwan—the black bear—in person. The director of Taipei Zoo even personally explained the current ecological status of the Formosan Black Bear. Aside from attentively listening to the stories about the bears and diligently taking notes, the artist also used his camera to capture various physical features and different body angles of the black bear. The Formosan Black Bear “Black Sugar” was also very cooperative, posing like a professional model and frequently freezing or shifting positions, which delighted Paulo, who was seeing the bear for the first time. “Black Sugar” even stood up several times, showcasing the sturdy and powerful build typical of the Formosan Black Bear.
![](\"/pic/20200314/2d8e6e59bc656ec4fba2d2649c28738a.jpg\")
Capturing the features of the black bear one by one to create a lifelike paper sculpture. (Photo provided by Taipei City Government – Department of Information and Tourism)
After visiting the Formosan Black Bear, Paulo immediately headed to the organizer’s office to begin designing the paper sculpture. He could be seen intently painting the black bear paper model and carefully depicting its fur color, nose, eyes, movements, and the signature white V-shaped marking on its chest. To make the paper bear appear more natural, Paulo meticulously mixed dark brown paint, striving to achieve the most vivid and authentic animal fur tone possible.
Taipei City stated that the inclusion of the paper “Formosan Black Bear” in the “Panda Installation Art Exhibition” aims to give this creatively inspired event not just “cuteness,” but also greater conservation and educational significance. It is also a contribution to wildlife conservation in Taiwan and a call for the public to take action in caring for endangered protected animals.
● Read More:
1,600 Yuan Zai Pandas March into Taipei, Offering More Healing Power Than the Rubber Duck
http://goo.gl/f3pqzH
![](\"/pic/20200314/8987674e4358a1a6e45a6a8f062c9a86.jpg\")
Paulo Grangeon designs a clay mold of the black bear, striving to capture the essence of the Formosan Black Bear. (Photo provided by Taipei City Government – Department of Information and Tourism)