Ebru Painter Wins 'War' against Water

Murat Elhan demonstrates his painting skill at the Expo.

ARTIST Murat Elhan is demonstrating traditional Ebru painting every day at the Turkey Pavilion.

Ebru painting, also known as the art of water marbling, is a unique technique allowing artists to draw patterns by sprinkling and brushing color pigments on a pan of water or a viscous oily solution. It originated about 1,000 years ago.

He draws under the water surface to create patterns on a piece of paper.

"You have to gain control over the colors, or the water will draw the picture instead of you," said Elhan.

The 36 year old said he took delight in waging a "war" against water, and he always wins because he knows the key to success - finding the perfect density of pigments.

"It's all about density. You can feel the density with your own hands," Elhan said.

He said skillful Ebru artists should know when to add more water into the pan as the pigments will sink due to their high density, and they should also know when to add more pigments if their low density gives the water a chance to dissolve them.

"You gain control over the colors and you can draw anything, but if the situation is well out of hand, the water will dissolve the pigments into a free style," he said.

To win the little "war" against water, Elhan said he has created a group of elite "soldiers," a term he uses to refer to his own handmade pigments, brushes, pan and sticks.

Elhan is also a well-known teacher of Ebru painting in Turkey. He has taught hundreds of students how to control the colors, passing the graceful art to younger generations.

He learned at the age of 10, simply by watching his father, who supported the family by selling his Ebru paintings.

Elhan draws everything from flowers and water waves to abstract lines and patterns. It sometimes takes six hours to finish a piece.

"The art is very open to minds, it requires so much concentration that you forget about time," he said.

Elhan will be at the Turkey Pavilion's exit from 11am to 7pm every day until the Expo ends on October 31. If you don't see him, look around for a crowd of people. He will likely be the guy in the middle of the big crowd.

Cool Tips for Hot Times

Visitors enjoy a cool moment while queuing to enter the Saudi Arabia Pavilion yesterday. The area has been equipped with sprays and covered with sunshades. The spraying system can cool the temperature by around 5 degrees Celsius and is in large demand among pavilions now that the city has entered "sanfu," the hottest time of the year.

PEOPLE can make their visit to the World Expo more comfortable during the hottest period of the summer by choosing cool pavilions, finding shady areas to rest and following the instructions of doctors.

The organizer yesterday began giving out 500,000 free fans to visitors every day at the entrance gates. A total of 25 million fans will be handed out during the summer.

The weather forecast will be broadcast on large screens across the site.

Free cooling oil and sunstroke medicine are available at the 56 Visitors Service Centers across the site. Visitors can ask volunteers for the oil and medicine.

To avoid the blistering sun, visitors can enter pavilions and restaurants or go to the second underground level of Expo Boulevard.

The joint pavilions and Theme Pavilions are good places to hide from the sun as they usually have much shorter queues.

Visitors can also go to the skating rink in the Expo Culture Center. It costs 30 yuan (US$4.43) to rent a pair of skates.

Cool pavilions

Norway Pavilion in Zone C has a mist wall to isolate itself from the hot weather outside. A popular exhibit in the pavilion features a bear paw print in the snow, which visitors can touch.

MeteoWorld Pavilion in Zone B sprays mist every 10 seconds to cool people off. The temperature around could be lowered by 6 degrees Celsius.

The Air Tree in the Madrid Pavilion in the Urban Best Practices Area can reduce the temperature beneath it by 8 to 10 degrees.

The tree is like a massive umbrella, with 100 square meters of panels able to change orientation to achieve the desired conditions. It is covered in solar panels to drive a fan to circulate air beneath.

The temperature in the Iceland Pavilion is 21 degrees, lower than the 27 degrees at other pavilions, to imitate the country's summer weather.

The cubic-shaped pavilion even looks like an ice block.

Doctor's Suggestions

Foreign visitors, especially those new to Shanghai, were suggested to rest for at least a day after arriving in Shanghai before going to the Expo. This will help them acclimatize to the weather and avoid getting sick, doctor Zhao Enhao said at a medical service station at the Expo site.

The city's health authority yesterday reminded visitors to drink more water, especially salt water when visiting the Expo in hot weather.

Also, wear light, loose clothing, a hat and sunglasses. Sun creams are also recommended.