Craftsmanship in TaiwanWay (台灣味職人文化學堂), a main feature of the "Ciao! Taiwan Arts Festival," will be underway from Oct. 19 through Nov. 19 in Hong Kong, with exhibitions, videos, and workshops for visitors to have a better understanding of Taiwanese craftsmanship spirit and gain a deeper appreciation of Taiwan.
Curated by TripTaiwan (去台灣) platform, with support from Kwang Hwa Information and Culture Center (光華新聞文化中心), four Taiwan artists and groups will be showcasing their inheritance and traditional handicraft skills for festival-goers to discover how Taiwan's new-generation artists are reinterpreting traditional handicrafts. Additionally, there will be a "TaiwanWay Pop-up Store," with a selection of over 30 Taiwanese snacks and products to browse and enjoy.
Kwang Hwa remarked that there are many beautiful traditional handicrafts deeply imbued with Taiwanese history and culture in Taiwan. It is expected that attendees will be inspired by observing how the younger generation craft artists have worked with traditional craft artists to transform traditional handicrafts.
Founder of TripTaiwan Catherine Yick (易欣齊) emphasized that Taiwan is one of the most popular travel destinations for the people of Hong Kong, however, due to the pandemic, global traveling has been restricted this year. Therefore, by introducing storytelling videos about Taiwanese traditional handicraft makers, plus exhibitions, online exchanges, and workshops, event organizers hope that people in Hong Kong can experience a mini trip to Taiwan and learn in depth about Taiwan.
The four Taiwan designers and groups include:
Hands Design Studio (手手企業社): John Chiang is the founder of Hands and the recipient of the 2018 Golden Pin Design Award. Chiang collaborates with wood craft manufacturer Yong Mao Craft Co. (永茂木器) from Changhua to breathe new life into traditional wooden window grille art. They will be holding workshops on making wooden window grille coasters without using any nails or glue.
Mental Image Studio (心象工作室): Mental Image Studio transforms the traditional clothing designs of Taiwan's 16 indigenous groups into origami art. They will be holding workshops teaching Ami tribe origami art and handmade notebook designing and making.
Bank of Culture (文化銀行): The creator of eco-friendly sky lanterns, the Bank of Culture strives to preserve traditional culture and environmental sustainability.
Taiwan Primary Colors (台灣大地原色): Hung Hao-lun is currently the only artist in Taiwan using raw mineral and soil pigments in his works. Hung has traveled all over Taiwan searching for natural elements to create environmental dye artworks. Workshop attendees will be learning to paint postcards with soil pigments.
More information on the exhibitions and workshops will be on the website and Facebook page.