NEWS & EVENTS > INTERVIEW
"A nation's culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people"
-Mahatma Ghandi
Susanna Pang — Founder of SOIL
August 2017
Lacquerware -Designed by Winnie Liu and SOIL
August 2017
Lacquerware -Designed by Winnie Liu and SOIL
What kind of historical significance or cultural value do you think traditional handicrafts have for a modern Hong Kong?
If we look at it from the perspective of daily life, traditional handicraft can be living products. From the perspective of designers, they may view traditional handicrafts in terms of how environmentally friendly they are, or they may concentrate on their human quality. Traditional handicrafts may be used as a medium to send a message, or to draw closer to local aesthetics and lifestyle practices, so that it’s not only just western design concepts that are being used here in Hong Kong or China, because if you think about it, handicrafts are original catered to the culture and needs of the local people. We wonder, if everyone knows how to appreciate the history and culture and value of these arts and crafts, then would the standard of living increase? People have asked us what the differences are between a lacquer box and a plastic box. For function, there is no indeed no difference. A plastic box may be cheap, but we will not treasure it. A lacquer box is expensive and is completely handmade, and so we treasure it more. It doesn’t become outdated, and we can pass it on from generation to generation. I think this has in impact in increasing cultural appreciation and awareness.
The inheritance of traditional handicrafts is important. Do you feel that there is a need for Hong Kong to set up inheritance programs so that traditions can be passed on?
If we are talking about Hong Kong, then it might be difficult. Although we have worked hard to promote traditional handicraft in Hong Kong, then Hong Kong has only a minor role in the history of handicrafts, and the origin of these handicrafts isn’t necessarily Hong Kong either. So I think how the Hong Kong government should approach it is to see which local handicraft industries are worth preserving. Besides preserving some of the traditional industries, we can also see how Hong Kong can play the role of a culture facilitator. For example lacquerware does not originate in Hong Kong, nor is it embedded as part of its local handicraft culture, so the public may not know much about lacquer. So the Hong Kong government and people can make good use of the advantages of language and culture (that Hong Kong has to offer) and facilitate exchanges, which might be more practical than nurturing bearers of intangible cultural heritage. We can attract more people to come to Hong Kong for exchanges, we can curate exhibitions or translate Chinese history into English, or even film some creative videos. I think that these are the advantages of Hong Kong.
I think people want to know why we would spend so much effort in documentation. This is because there exists a lot of gaps in traditional Chinese culture, where no proper documentation is being made. If there is no documentation then we can only rely on oral transmission, a method that has to rely on faulty memory, or by which information is easily lost. Besides written documentation, research can be one of the things that Hong Kong has to offer, because Hong Kong has academic freedom. I think that Hong Kong should do more of this kind of work.
If we look at it from the perspective of daily life, traditional handicraft can be living products. From the perspective of designers, they may view traditional handicrafts in terms of how environmentally friendly they are, or they may concentrate on their human quality. Traditional handicrafts may be used as a medium to send a message, or to draw closer to local aesthetics and lifestyle practices, so that it’s not only just western design concepts that are being used here in Hong Kong or China, because if you think about it, handicrafts are original catered to the culture and needs of the local people. We wonder, if everyone knows how to appreciate the history and culture and value of these arts and crafts, then would the standard of living increase? People have asked us what the differences are between a lacquer box and a plastic box. For function, there is no indeed no difference. A plastic box may be cheap, but we will not treasure it. A lacquer box is expensive and is completely handmade, and so we treasure it more. It doesn’t become outdated, and we can pass it on from generation to generation. I think this has in impact in increasing cultural appreciation and awareness.
The inheritance of traditional handicrafts is important. Do you feel that there is a need for Hong Kong to set up inheritance programs so that traditions can be passed on?
If we are talking about Hong Kong, then it might be difficult. Although we have worked hard to promote traditional handicraft in Hong Kong, then Hong Kong has only a minor role in the history of handicrafts, and the origin of these handicrafts isn’t necessarily Hong Kong either. So I think how the Hong Kong government should approach it is to see which local handicraft industries are worth preserving. Besides preserving some of the traditional industries, we can also see how Hong Kong can play the role of a culture facilitator. For example lacquerware does not originate in Hong Kong, nor is it embedded as part of its local handicraft culture, so the public may not know much about lacquer. So the Hong Kong government and people can make good use of the advantages of language and culture (that Hong Kong has to offer) and facilitate exchanges, which might be more practical than nurturing bearers of intangible cultural heritage. We can attract more people to come to Hong Kong for exchanges, we can curate exhibitions or translate Chinese history into English, or even film some creative videos. I think that these are the advantages of Hong Kong.
I think people want to know why we would spend so much effort in documentation. This is because there exists a lot of gaps in traditional Chinese culture, where no proper documentation is being made. If there is no documentation then we can only rely on oral transmission, a method that has to rely on faulty memory, or by which information is easily lost. Besides written documentation, research can be one of the things that Hong Kong has to offer, because Hong Kong has academic freedom. I think that Hong Kong should do more of this kind of work.
About SOIL:
Located at PMQ, and found in 2012, SOIL aims to offer a new perspective and experience to traditional crafts through design research projects and collaboration with creators across different cultures. Through collaborations with designers and craftsmen across different disciplines, SOIL aims to create better craft designs exposed to alternative methods and materials, believing that collaboration spreads the sphere of influence for designs, and breaks down walls with new approaches.
Related Links: