IMAGINE THE ‘IM’POSSIBILITIES: BAMBOO
Crafts on Peel’s first thematic exhibition
celebrates the reinvention of traditional bamboo crafts
“The exhibition is the result of extensive research trips and studies which continue Crafts on Peel’s exploration of Hong Kong’s traditional bamboo craftsmanship, and which reinterpret the connections between traditional craftsmanship and contemporary lifestyle. We are glad to continue to provide a platform for collaborations not only across generations but also across regions and cultures”.
Penelope Luk, Creative Director of Crafts on Peel and Co-curator.
BAMBOO will present the work of ten artisans from Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong, whose practices will run from 26 September through to 31 December 2020.
An extension of Crafts on Peel’s inaugural exhibition, IMAGINE THE ‘IM’POSSIBILITIES: BAMBOO, stems from long-term research into contemporary bamboo craftsmanship in Asia. Co-curated by Penelope Luk, Creative Director of Crafts on Peel and Benjamin Wang, Contemporary Artisan from Taiwan, the exhibition takes visitors on an interactive journey divided into three key sections that explore the utilitarian elements, contemporary aesthetics and traditional craftsmanship of bamboo. Each section draws attention to the texture, form and natural qualities of bamboo, as well as the processes and historical context that have shaped our engagement with the material over thousands of years.
The exhibition opens with a section titled, Assimilate into the Environment, which traces the development and history of bamboo crafts for practical purposes, and how these have adapted to specific environments and cultural settings. Bamboo’s utilitarian nature comes to the fore in contemporary iterations of historical agricultural tools, for example, Benjamin Wang’s Lamp, assembled by a fruit tray, a duck feeding bowl and a chicken cage, which highlight the practicality and wisdom embedded in once everyday items, passed from generation to generation. The curatorial narrative continues with The Pursuit of Elegance, a section in the exhibition dedicated to showcasing how lifestyles and values developed during China’s Song Dynasty elevated bamboo ware from items of primarily rustic purpose to crafted objects of aesthetic value. Hong Kong contemporary artisan, Ting For Chun’s Tea Funnel and Hexagonal Chrysanthemum Pattern Coaster, and Moonlight Gardenia by contemporary artisan from Taiwan, Chen Yung Sheng, celebrate the development of finely-made bamboo vessels embodied in the traditional rituals of tea ceremony, incense appreciation and flower arrangement. The third section, The Beauty of Daily Objects, echoes the concept of ‘Beauty in usage’ by Japanese philosopher Yanagi Sōetsu, first articulated in the 1920s which upholds a belief that the aesthetic value of craft lies in its practicality. Japanese contemporary artisan Tamotsu Nishimoto’s Teppachi Morikago and Takezaiku Basket focus on ‘achieving beauty in life at the moment of usage’ and combining art with functionality.
A collaborative series of unique bamboo crafts by Cheung Foon & Jinno Neko, Chan Lok Choi & Dylan Kwok, and Tuck Chong Sum Kee & Lawrence Ting, will continue from the inaugural exhibition. They allow the public to revisit touchpoints of relationship between traditional craftsmanship and the modern world, and explore how traditional crafts and techniques can be reinterpreted and perpetuated in a contemporary artistic context.
“Embodying a spirit of purity and infinite creative possibility, bamboo is a material with an elaborate living culture across Asia that transcends countries, cultures and history. Linked by this shared cultural heritage, the artisans presented at Crafts on Peel articulate a unique exchange of traditional craftsmanship and contemporary aesthetics that immerse the viewer in the infinite possibilities and creativity of ‘bamboo’”. Benjamin Wang, Co-curator and Contemporary Artisan.
Crafts on Peel: Address: 11 Peel Street, Central, Hong Kong
Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 11 am – 6 pm; Close on Sunday to Monday and Public Holiday
Note: To minimize the risk of COVID-19 spreading in the community, the opening hours of Crafts on Peel and the number of visitors will be limited according to the latest social distancing policy from the Hong Kong Government.
For more information, please visit: https://www.craftsonpeel.com/
Public Enquiries: hello@craftsonpeel.com / (852) 2510 0637