04 Souvenirs

Designer Mentee: Rony Chan and Ire Tsui (Recipient of Design Trust Feature Grant)

International Mentor: Alexander Groves & Azusa Murakami

Lead Curator: Marisa Yiu (Co-founder/ Executive Director of Design Trust)

Design Brief:

The designers will make visible the Hong Kong and Greater Bay Area based manufacturers and artisans through their work. They will work on designing souvenirs re-interpreted from that of the Haw Par Collection, and other archives in Hong Kong. The idea is to present local production and craft in relation to the history and heritage of Haw Par and beyond, as well as re-interpreting the concept of what a "souvenir" is and its presentation in the context of history, heritage, critical tourism, and Haw Par as a new music foundation.

"Inspired by the creative spirits of the Haw Par Mansion and Aw brothers, we looked into the stories behind the family, garden, interiors and objects. A series of storytelling objects, as new heritage souvenirs, are developed with key design elements taken from the Haw Par Mansion and collections." - Rony Chan and Ire Tsui

Designer Statement:

The mobile decoration is a set of creative paper hangings, inspired by the Haw Par Mansion's stained glass art, translated into a system of playful shapes. The prototype consists of 15 geometrical forms, made by die-cutting technique at Willey Printing and Box Cutting Factory in Chai Wan, and paper sponsored by Antalis HK. Following a few simple steps of "See & Make" character - making instructions, our design inspires people to create 2D & 3D graphical and animal characters, such as dragons, bats, birds, or other motifs inspired by the Mansion, and participate actively in the making of DIY souvenirs.

Designer Mentee: Rony Chan and Ire Tsui (Recipient of Design Trust Feature Grant)

International Mentor: Alexander Groves & Azusa Murakami

Lead Curator: Marisa Yiu (Co-founder/ Executive Director of Design Trust)

Design Brief:

The designers will make visible the Hong Kong and Greater Bay Area based manufacturers and artisans through their work. They will work on designing souvenirs re-interpreted from that of the Haw Par Collection, and other archives in Hong Kong. The idea is to present local production and craft in relation to the history and heritage of Haw Par and beyond, as well as re-interpreting the concept of what a "souvenir" is and its presentation in the context of history, heritage, critical tourism, and Haw Par as a new music foundation.

"Inspired by the creative spirits of the Haw Par Mansion and Aw brothers, we looked into the stories behind the family, garden, interiors and objects. A series of storytelling objects, as new heritage souvenirs, are developed with key design elements taken from the Haw Par Mansion and collections." - Rony Chan and Ire Tsui

Designer Statement:

From Haw Par Mansion's exterior, pavilions, to decorative floor motifs, if you take a closer look into the architecture of the Mansion, you may notice that hexagonal shapes are everywhere. Collaborating with Mr Lee, a local one-man metal-factory craftsman, Rony Chan reinterpreted the iconic hexagon into a set of candle holders, ranging in three different dimensions and heights. The stackable feature references to the iconic designs of the early Tiger Balm brand's popup shop, whereas in this modern version, they become functional and adaptable to any home environment.

Designer Mentee: Michael Leung (Recipient of Design Trust Feature Grant)

International Mentor: Alexander Groves & Azusa Murakami

Lead Curator: Marisa Yiu (Co-founder/ Executive Director of Design Trust)

Design Brief:

The designers will make visible the Hong Kong and Greater Bay Area based manufacturers and artisans through their work. They will work on designing souvenirs re-interpreted from that of the Haw Par Collection, and other archives in Hong Kong. The idea is to present local production and craft in relation to the history and heritage of Haw Par and beyond, as well as re-interpreting the concept of what a "souvenir" is and its presentation in the context of history, heritage, critical tourism, and Haw Par as a new music foundation.

"I was inspired by the tangible, intangible, and untold stories of Haw Par, from the different visual elements of its interior, to stories of the Haw Par Brothers, and other untold stories, such as Mr. Tiger's broken tail damaged by a visitor trying to take a selfie; or the intuitively designed Mansion and Garden bounded by no rules or official drawing plans. It is the culmination of these stories and anecdotes that engenders the design of the vases. Situated amongst vases from the Haw Par archive, not only are the vases decorative, they also double act as portable acoustic panels for the new music foundation. I hope the visitors can experience Haw Par through a different lens.." - Michael Leung

Designer Statement:

Challenging traditional carpet as material for a three-dimensional object, the vases are meticulously hand-tufted by artisans at Tai Ping, and finished by a local brass workshop in Hong Kong.