Painstaking craftsmanship:
While the winning tea ware looks simple, it took Enders Wong more than three months to create, with many failures during the process.
Elegant simplicity:
When hot water is poured over the teapot, if the air is cold, mist can be seen. The water will then flow slowly into the basin, creating a waterfall effect.
Cultural cue:
Ku Siu-hing aimed to reflect the Hong Kong spirit in her China-bag inspired tea ware.
Tea brake:
Third-prize winner in the school category Choi Wai-yin gave her whimsical teapot and tea cups three legs, not two, to symbolise Hong Kongers’ super-fast-paced lifestyles - and encourage them to slow down.
Winning tea ware sends relaxing message
September 29, 2013
Enjoying a fine cup of tea from an exquisitely crafted vessel is one of life’s purest pleasures. The 2013 Tea Ware by Hong Kong Potters competition at the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware drew 335 pottery tea sets from 244 entrants - leaving judges spoiled for choice. Each entry reflects its creator’s skills and innovativeness, running the gamut from simple and serene to quirky and complex.
Enders Wong won top honours in the open category for his entry, “Water never leaps, will run deep”. Though it is not colourful and has a basic shape, the idea captured the judges’ imagination.
“I wanted to create a sense of a high mountain and flowing water. When hot water is poured over the teapot, if the air is cold, mist can be seen. The water will then flow slowly into the basin, creating a waterfall effect,” Mr Wong said.
While it looks simple, the teapot took Mr Wong more than three months to create, with many failures during the process.
“I finally made this just one week before the competition ended," said Mr Wong. “My daughter was born the same day. I was very excited and whether I won or not was not important to me at that moment.”
Ku Siu-hing’s creative work
“Red, white and blue” took a prize of excellence in the open category. She captured the look of the iconic, all-purpose local bags in her teapot and matching cups. Like the so-called “China bags” when they are full, the tea ware is bent and bulging.
Time out
“The local red, white and blue bag represents endurance, perseverance and persistence, which also embodies the Hong Kong spirit,” said Ms Ku. “I want to tell Hong Kong people who are diligent and painstaking in their work that…they must take time to relax. They don’t need to stretch themselves so much.”
Choi Wai-yin, a 14-year-old potter who took third prize in the school category for her work,
“Be Quick”, wanted to send a similar message. Her round-bodied teapot and accompanying tea cups have legs - not just two legs each, but three.
“It is just like a person running. With an extra leg, he can run even faster,” Wai-yin said.
Hong Kong people’s lives are too fast-paced, she believes. Through her tea set, she wants to remind them, and herself, to work less quickly - but more efficiently.
“Hong Kong people are always rushing and don’t even have time to rest. They could probably finish faster but maybe the task being performed isn’t perfect or its quality isn’t very good,” Wai-yin said.
“We can allow ourselves to take a rest. We don’t have to work quickly all the time.”
Visitors to Hong Kong Park can take a break to see these and more than 100 other selected entries on show at the exhibition, which runs until September 8 at the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware.
