Freeman Lau
Design incorporated within Chinese culture
Hong Kong-based designer, artist and graphic
In addition to his own diverse portfolio, over the
In the Hong Kong exhibition, Lau added a fresh
designer Freeman Lau redefines established tropes
past two decades Lau has actively promoted Hong
touch of Hong Kong typography drawing on street
on the classic East-meets-West aesthetic through a
Kong design, lecturing throughout the region and
and traditional pawnshop signage. De Tainan Stijl
nuanced blend of cultural influences, including
curating exhibitions such as Ingenuity Follows
showing a collection of signage found on the
heritage, traditions, craftsmanship and
Nature in Taiwan, featuring 40 designers from Asian
streets of Tainan was also displayed.
contemporary creativity.
countries. T he exhibition drew over a million visitors.
His prolific design career has generated a wide range of cultural, commercial and public art space projects as well as product and packaging designs and furniture. Renowned for some of Hong Kong's most memorable motifs such as the distinctive
In 2011 he was invited to be one of the curators for the Beijing International Design Triennial and designed a pavilion around the title of Rethinking Bamboo, based on in-depth analysis of this fast-growing natural material.
"Cultural research is something that I love to do all the time. So, when I come across a project that is suitable, I can then draw on that knowledge and put it to use," Lau explains. For instance, Lau says the form and narrative of fortune cookies, which he first saw in a Chinese restaurant in America, especially
packaging commissioned by the Garden Bakery
Lau sits on the board of directors of the Hong Kong
and for Chow Sang Sang's logo, Lau was also
Design Centre and is the Secretary General of the
wishes and blessings, he transformed the real
responsible for the curvaceous redesign of the
Hong Kong Federation of Design Associations. He
cookie into a gigantic art installation of bamboo
Watson's water bottle in 2002. Lau's tailor-made
was awarded the Bronze Bauhinia Star in 2006. His
strips and poles. T he audience was invited to write
Chairplay series is another quintessential Hong
work is in notable collections all over the world,
their wishes and blessings on paper and attach them to the fortune cookie.
Kong cultural form, reflecting his conceptual
including the City Gallery of Contemporary Art in
approach through whimsical chairs that are joined
Arezzo, Italy, Museum of Applied Art in Frankfurt,
or intertwined.
the Hong Kong Museum of Art, the Hong Kong
Having graduated with a diploma in graphic design from the Hong Kong Polytechnic (now Hong Kong Polytechnic University) in 1981, Lau joined local
Heritage Museum, the University of Hawaii Art Gallery, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
master designer Kan Tai Keung's studio, becoming
Confluence 20+ reflects Lau's fascination with
a partner in 1988. He founded KL&K Creative
Chinese calligraphy through a series of works
Strategics in 2013.
attracted him. Intrigued by the concept of sharing
created in collaboration with his peers, such as the Taiwanese calligrapher Tong Yang Tse. T he Via Negativa calligraphy screen and six plates are meditative pieces that capture the essence of calligraphic brushstrokes. Also on show is a collection of Ingenuity Follows Nature Corian paperweights that highlight the sense of presence
Often it is only when we encounter other Chinese cultures that we realise how different ours is.
Tang's calligraphy brings to a contemporary setting. T he Calligraphy of Tea and Five Elements tea caddies are pewter collectibles.
131 • Freemanl.au
Lee Chi Wing
•
Teatime at the bar
Industrial designer Lee Chi Wing is renowned for
that fulfill people's basic needs with neat design.
Lee conceptualised the mobile tea bar as an antidote
his minimalist style and attention to materiality. The
Tranquility, serenity and peacefulness are the
to contemporary perceptions of tea-drinking. For
quintessential contemporary creator, he combines
ingrained characteristics of Lee's work.
older Hong Kongers, drinking tea is a satisfying
analytical rigour with an obsessive attention to detail and a delight in materials. Born and educated in Hong Kong, after graduating
His projects have won international accolades, including First Prize in the Habitat European Design Competition-Domestic Workstation Category,
routine that remains a part of daily life, but younger generations increasingly consider tea to be old-fashioned.
with a Bachelor's degree from the Design School of
HKDA Asia Design Awards, DFA Design for Asia
In creating his design, Lee says he asked himself
the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in 1989, Lee
Awards and HKDA Global Design Awards. His
many questions about the tea culture: Can drinking
moved to Paris for a Master's degree at the Ecole
inflight tableware for Cathay Pacific Airways,
Chinese tea be as chic as taking a sip of coffee?
nationale superieure de creation industrielle,
featuring contemporary rice motifs, is considered
Why do we have to go to Chinese restaurants to
internationally known as ENSCI - Les Ateliers.
a design icon throughout the region.
drink tea? What if we could be served tea anytime
He stayed in Europe, working for design
At Confluence 20+, Lee presented a custom-made
consultancies and designing for several leading
mobile tea bar with a difference, using tea to initiate
electronics brands, a defining experience that has
dialogue by inviting the audience to mingle as they
and anywhere? Can the essence behind the tea ceremony be translated into something less ritualistic? How do we make the best of the spirit of hospitality without bothering too much with its traditions?
informed his future career and inspired his own
enjoyed freshly brewed tea. Classic yet
philosophy.
contemporary, and influenced by the traditional
The mobile tea bar may be considered as object,
Chinese street stalls, the tea bar has compartments
but for the designer it also represents the opportunity
When it came to naming his own Hong Kong-based design consultancy in 1998, Lee's belief that "design should be as pure as milk," impurities and unnecessary decoration stripped away and an emphasis on form and function, led to his calling it Milk Design. The studio provides simple, functional, intelligent solutions for its clients, focusing on the correlation between design and daily life. In 2002, he launched a new lifestyle brand, Feelgood Home, its products following the same philosophy as Milk Design: minimalist essentials
for all its essential elements, providing a neat visual
to break down barriers to communication and
stability, while its light-toned timber with perfectly
encourage people to indulge in casual conversation.
finished wooden joints and modulated details conveys a refreshing sense of tranquility. It is equipped with a tap and induction cooker for boiling water and a small sun shade canopy. On the counter, Lee has designed hexagonal tea cups and round-shaped tea pitcher, and the tea is served from four moveable trays. The hexagonal tea cups were created by using 30 printers for the moulds. Lee then collaborated with Hong Kong ceramic artist Joe Chan to transform them into textured objects of beauty that invite the tea drinker to concentrate on the moment and the scent of tea. Lee also collaborated with Teakha, a local Hong Kong tea shop which the Plantation brand of tea is stored in a flower-shaped tea caddies.
159 • Lee Chi Wing