Survival Manuals

2015 ongoing

Survival Manual 1 (Hand-Copied 1961 “Shanghai’s Wild Edible Plants”), 2015.​ Ink on paper, 72 sheets, 18.4 x 13cm each
Survival Manual 1 (Hand-Copied 1961 “Shanghai’s Wild Edible Plants”), 2015.​ Ink on paper, 72 sheets, 18.4 x 13cm each
Survival Manual 1 (Hand-Copied 1961 “Shanghai’s Wild Edible Plants”), 2015.​ Ink on paper, 72 sheets, 18.4 x 13cm each
Survival Manual 1 (Hand-Copied 1961 “Shanghai’s Wild Edible Plants”), 2015.​ Ink on paper, 72 sheets, 18.4 x 13cm each
Survival Manual 2 (Hand-Copied 1945 “Taiwan’s Wild Edible Plants”​), 2016.​ Ink on paper, 105 sheets, 18.4 x 13 cm each
Survival Manual 2 (Hand-Copied 1945 “Taiwan’s Wild Edible Plants”​), 2016.​ Ink on paper, 105 sheets, 18.4 x 13 cm each
Survival Manual 2 (Hand-Copied 1945 “Taiwan’s Wild Edible Plants”​), 2016.​ Ink on paper, 105 sheets, 18.4 x 13 cm each
Survival Manual 2 (Hand-Copied 1945 “Taiwan’s Wild Edible Plants”​), 2016.​ Ink on paper, 105 sheets, 18.4 x 13 cm each
Survival Manual 2 (Hand-Copied 1945 “Taiwan’s Wild Edible Plants”​), 2016.​ Ink on paper, 105 sheets, 18.4 x 13 cm each
Survival Manual 3 (Hand-Copied 1833 “Biko somoku zu”), 2019.​ Ink on paper, 110 sheets, 18.4 x 13 cm each
Survival Manual 3 (Hand-Copied 1833 “Biko somoku zu”), 2019.​ Ink on paper, 110 sheets, 18.4 x 13 cm each
Survival Manual 3 (Hand-Copied 1833 “Biko somoku zu”), 2019.​ Ink on paper, 110 sheets, 18.4 x 13 cm each
Survival Manual 3 (Hand-Copied 1833 “Biko somoku zu”), 2019.​ Ink on paper, 110 sheets, 18.4 x 13 cm each
Survival Manual 3 (Hand-Copied 1833 “Biko somoku zu”), 2019.​ Ink on paper, 110 sheets, 18.4 x 13 cm each

1 (Hand-Copied 1961 “Shanghai’s Wild Edible Plants”). The Great Leap Forward (1958-60) led to widespread famine in China. In 1961 the Communist Party published “Shanghai’s Wild Edible Plants” to help people survive. Zheng Bo hand-copied this book in 2015.

2 (Hand-Copied 1945 “Taiwan’s Wild Edible Plants”). “Taiwan’s Wild Edible Plants” was published in March 1945 by Japanese in Taiwan, five months before Japan’s surrender in WWII. The preface states: “At this critical moment of the sacred war, the survival of the empire depends on winning the war on food.” Zheng Bo hand-copied this book in 2016.

3 (Hand-Copied 1833 “Biko somoku zu”).《備荒草木図》 Biko somoku zu (Famine Preparation Botanical Drawings) was published in 1833, in response to a series of large famines in Edo Japan. Consisting of 104 drawings of edible plants, it was the first book of this kind in Japan. I encountered this book in Kyoto in spring 2019 and hand-copied it in autumn and winter.