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Experience

the Beauty

of Glass

Glass art - a new form of art is gaining popularity

By Kayi Tsang

lass is everywhere in our daily tures such as polishing, bonding, fus- tion, but not a form of fine arts.”
life - from utilities to artwork, ing, slumping and casting. It provides Glass production requires huge
Gwe can easily find products more possibilities and variations for investment and space for equipment
made of glass. DIY glass workshops artists to create their own unique art- storage, which makes it difficult for
are also gaining popularity all over work. the trade to develop in Hong Kong.
the world. Wong Kwok-chong, 56, is Apart from producing glass art, Wong points out government policies
a glass making artist who teaches peo- Wong also specialises in glass restora- are introduced to encourage consum-
ple how to make beautiful glass prod- tion. “Restoration takes time. Before ers to purchase glass art products to
ucts. doing so, you need to understand the boost the glass art market in South
Wong first learnt about glass art materials first,” he says. Even though Korea. Hong Kong, however, does
through the Studio Glass Movement the techniques used in repairing glass not have such kind of policies and the
originated in the United States in the art are more complicated, Wong finds market is niche.
1970s. After acquiring the glass mak- it both challenging and meaningful. But Wong says he will strive to
ing techniques in Taiwan, he decided Wong says he helped restore Ital- promote the art despite the challeng-
to set up a glass studio in Hong Kong ian painted glass windows of the Haw es. “We will focus more on art crea-
for glass art fans in the city in 1993. Par Mansion, a historical building tion and hold regular exhibitions in
As the first glass studio in Hong built in 1935. It took his team over the future,” he says.
Kong, Wong aims to promote glass art four months to restore 20 glass win- Want to make your own unique
through workshops, glass restoration, dows which were destroyed by bomb- glass art? Pay a visit to the Studio
consultation services and art work ex- ing in the World War II. In order to Glass Hong Kong at L0-04 Jockey
hibitions. He describes the making of restore the mansion to its original Club Creative Arts Centre at 30 Pak
glass as “very flexible and ever-chang- shape, Wong and his team had to find Tin Street, Shek Kip Mei or go to their
ing”. Different temperatures result in materials that match the style of archi- website for more details.
different colours and shapes of the tecture of that time, which made the
glass work. “The unimaginable beauty task more challenging.
of glass art fascinates me,” he says. Though Wong has made great ef- Edited by Edith Chung
Wong says glass making nowadays fort to promote glass making in Hong
is more than just blowing glass near Kong, he admits that glass art is still
the furnace. Different kinds of glasses, not widely recognised by the public.
including cold glass, warm glass and “Glass art is more like an obscure and
hot glass can be produced. Each of underground art,” he says. “Glass is
them has distinctive processing fea- widely seen as an installation decora-