Feature Gallery
The Bonsai of Ernie Kuo
Born in China in 1945 and raised in Hong Kong. Ernie came to the US for collegeand got his degrees in Chemical Engineering. He worked as a forensic chemist until 1987 when he bacame a self-employed property manager. His bonsai life began in 1979 when his wife Margaret urged him to start a hobby and enrolled him in a bonsai class. Since then, Ernie has been a typical bonsai enthusiast, collecting specimens from nurseries, mountains, front yards and backyards. He learned from his mentor John Naka that the best way to learn bonsai is to teach bonsai. This in 1987 he bgan teaching bonsai at Cypress College in Orange County. Later, in 1990, he also taught at UCLA Extensions. In 1991 he went to Japan to study under Masahiko Kimura for 3 months. Now (1999) he teaches two bonsai classes so he can learn more about bonsai. He has given workshops lectures and demonstrations in theUSA, South America, Europe and Asia Ernie lives in Buena Park, California, USA Ernie is a member of the Board of California Bonsai Society, presently serving as photographer. He is a member of the Board of the National Bonsai Foundation and presently serving as coordiantor of the Penjin Collection.
His bonsai have won the BCI Ben Oki Design Awards in 1993 and 1994 and the first prizes in Kindai Bonsai Magazine (Japan) Readers Sakufuten in 1994 and 1995.
He has published articles in: Golden Statement, Bonsai in California, Bonsai Arte E Natura (Italian), Bonsai Creativ (German), Bonsai (German), Jounal of the American Bonsai Society, the Bonsai Clubs International magazine and Bonsai Today.
Bonsai and photographs by Ernie Kuo
Elaeagnus pungens
Juniperus californica
Bougainvillea sp.
Rhododendron indicum
Juniperus californica
Juniperus californica
Juniperus californica
Ulmus parvifolia
Juniperus californica
Feijoa sellowiana
