UN/FOLD: A Stitch in Time
Elaine weaving during her trip to Guizhou. Image Courtesy of Elaine Ng.
Elaine weaving during her trip to Guizhou. Image Courtesy of Elaine Ng.
Elaine's trip to Guizhou. Image Courtesy of Elaine Ng.
UN/FOLD started in 2013 initially as a heritage craft research initiative that looks to fuse traditional craft with modern, sustainable technologies. Having traveled to villages in Guizhou and learned from the villages’ expert weavers, Elaine was inspired to find new ways to preserve this Guizhou textile heritage. Looking at how the same textile construction technique has been developed within different spatial environments; comparing how the different habitats of both urban and rural life have influenced and impacted the traditional skill of weaving.
UN/FOLD started in 2013 initially as a heritage craft research initiative that looks to fuse traditional craft with modern, sustainable technologies. Having traveled to villages in Guizhou and learned from the villages’ expert weavers, Elaine was inspired to find new ways to preserve this Guizhou textile heritage. Looking at how the same textile construction technique has been developed within different spatial environments; comparing how the different habitats of both urban and rural life have influenced and impacted the traditional skill of weaving.
The project aims to educate these contrasting communities so that urbanites can learn from traditional techniques, and rural villagers can improve efficiency through technological influences and allow their expertise to shine through. Intertwining these two diverging stories of how weaving has developed, the project has been able to create a transferrable ecosystem that is respectful of the rural art and lifestyle, and develop products that are suited for the urban consumer.
Milestones
2015.Q2
Project awarded Design Trust Feature Grant
2015.Q4
Project awarded extended Design Trust Feature Grant
2017.05
Participation at London Craft Week
2019.03
Created a modular interactive installation “Nexus” for VIP lounge at Art Basel Hong Kong
2015.08
Awarded inaugural Swarovski Designers of the Future Award at Design Miami/ Basel
2018.Q1
Project awarded Design Trust Feature Grant
2018.12
Participation at Design Trust x BODW 2018: Culture & The City “Contemporary Heritage/ Translating Culture”
2019
Elaine participated in DTFS 2019 as Designer Mentee and created Dancing Phoenix (Feature Carpet Design) in collaboration with Tai Ping and mentored by Lyndon Neri and Rossana Hu
2019.03
Created a modular interactive installation “Nexus” for VIP lounge at Art Basel Hong Kong
2019.08
As a resident of The Mills Fabrica, she launched her heritage textiles design brand Un/Fold Stories at the TechstyleX store
- 2015 - 2016
- Grantee: Elaine Yan Ling Ng
- Organisation: The Fabrick Lab
The Fabrick Lab is a bespoke textile consultancy, located in Hong Kong, creating and developing experimental textile surfaces and materials for bespoke luxury environments, building installations that combine natural, lived and experienced materials with new technologies. These environments are responsive, smart and functional, creating beautiful pieces for interiors and exteriors.
They have worked in partnership with Scientists, Technologists, Botanists and Engineers, enabling the studio to provide fresh and innovative insights through the fabrication of thought-provoking outputs.