Crafts on Peel brings together contemporary and traditional Hong Kong artisans
Crafts on Peel invites skilled craftsmen to share their skills with a younger generation as they collaborate on traditional techniques such as porcelain painting, birdcage making, papier-maché and copperware
Traditional crafts play a vital role in societies, providing a creative expression of a culture and community. But in an age of ubiquitous technology and rampant globalisation, people turn to cheap, mass-produced goods, and skills are lost as craftspeople struggle to survive.
Hong Kong is no exception. But a new non-profit space, Crafts on Peel – that’s Peel Street, in Central – hopes to turn the tide by promoting the appreciation and understanding of traditional craft and its importance in society’s cultural heritage and identity.
Opening this month, the initiative fosters collaborations between traditional craftsmen and contemporary artisans through exhibitions and workshops.
“We want to breathe new life into traditional craft, so the values of traditional craftsmanship can be integrated into our times,” says Craft on Peel’s founder, Yama Chan.
The venue will also host a year-round artisan-in-residence programme to generate exchange and dialogue between craftspeople across generations and regions. Through this knowledge exchange, as well as public engagement, research and archiving, it hopes to play a role in the preservation and documentation of traditional crafts and heritage.