Refined Touch: Crossover Between Design & Craft

2.12.2019 – 9.2.2020
3/F, 7 Mallory Street, Wan Chai

Opening Hours
Mon – Sun 10am – 7pm

Free Admission

Visit our third exhibition — “REFINED TOUCH: CROSSOVER BETWEEN DESIGN AND CRAFT” — and be dazzled by the creativity, skills, and dexterity of designers and artisans who have spent years or even a lifetime to hone their art. They make one piece at a time and never rush to put on finishing touches. This exhibition encompasses lifestyle products, interior decor, furniture, fashion, and accessories that work in their respective contexts to add value to different spaces and bring joy to the user. These creations originated from both design and craft, resulting in crossover works that not only are freed from the constraints of usual trends, but also form a perfect union between form and function.

CURATOR

Amy Chow is an interdisciplinary design expert and connoisseur with achievements in multiple roles. Trained in multiple creative hubs like San Francisco, Los Angeles and Rome, Amy joined The Hong Kong Design Centre as Design and Project Director (2005-2012), overseeing the DFA Awards, research, professional training workshops and exhibitions. Over the last decade, she has spearheaded numerous critically acclaimed design exhibitions to the local and international audience, including Creative Hong Kong: Project 9707 (2007) which was seen in Vancouver, Milan, London, New York and Seoul, the six-month-long Creative Ecologies of Hong Kong: Business Living Creativity (2010) at the Shanghai World Expo, Creative Ecologies+ (2012) at The Hong Kong Heritage Museum, Imminent Domain: Designing the life of tomorrow (2013), at Asia Society Hong Kong Center and Confluence 20+ (2017), a monumental roving exhibition series which has travelled to Milan, Hong Kong, Seoul and Chicago. As an intellectual and academician, she has lectured in many design institutions and coordinated academic programs.

CURATORIAL STATEMENT

Elements of Asian Design ——
Understanding Asia’s Essential Concepts
in Design and Living
Amy Chow

Despite the inroads made by modernisation and Westernisation, Asian craft, design and fine art continue to add a special dimension to people’s lives. No one can spend even a few days in Japan without being powerfully affected by the traditional culture that remains alive and well. There are few civilisations in which design and quality have played such a significant role in the day-to-day life of the people. Hong Kong design is different, suggesting aesthetic and ethnic kinship through the use of images and materials that are diverse in media and technique, whereas The Mainland, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and other Asian countries use traditional techniques and natural materials. The philosophy and ethics of Asian design are revealed in different scales laden with cultural meaning.

Through curatorial research into the essence of Asian design and beauty, we identify and explain how various elements came to permeate the culture-based philosophies and traditions that have become an integral part of our lives. This themed series of exhibitions highlights specific perspectives on materials, aesthetics, lifestyles and design concepts, and is addressed to designers and enthusiasts who appreciate and care about fine design and quality of life.