Niko Leung of Hong Kong Soil
Prototype Samples and Workshop “Your Mountain and I: Scholar’s Rock Making in Ceramics”
Design Trust Feature Grant research “Hong Kong Soil” explores the technical and cultural opportunities of recycling & reusing discarded soil from construction sites, not only from the intention to minimise environmental burden but also through deep research and experimentations, to manifest qualities of this material that would be valuable to our city. Since 2021, Hong Kong Soil has been navigating a terrain that was rarely explored. Through inquisitive research and experimentation, the Project unfolds the charm of dirt, transforming it into a body of work at a variety of scales. A series of samples, maps, objects and installations will be exhibited, and engagement activities will be organized, to demonstrate a possible economy where we find circularity and empowerment.
The special workshop “Your Mountain and I: Scholar’s Rock Making in Ceramics” at Design Trust Futures Festival 2025 responds to the geographic feature Rhino Rock near Stanley waterfront and the material culture of scholars rock. The workshop invites the participants to “sculpt” their own stone from our Hong Kong local clay, and experience the technique of hand-building, giving textures and openings, and incorporating natural materials to create voids, creating a piece of ceramics that is filled with room for inspiration.
About Niko Leung
Niko Leung is a designer whose instinct to object, material and spatial design is shaped by her extensive experience and skill in ceramics production, interest in cultivating curiosity and care for the environment . Niko is the founder of TMML STUDIO and co-founding member of Hong Kong Soil. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Design Academy Eindhoven, the Netherlands. Niko received Design Trust Feature Grant for the research project Hong Kong Soil, and participated in Design Trust Futures Studio 2022 as designer mentee.
