Old inspiration

An exhibition highlights the revival of old handicraft through a modern approach, Lin Qi reports.

Alan Chan, the Hong Kong designer, artist and curator, has in his studio a library of objects of craft that he has collected from across the world over the past three decades. He didn't inquire about the function of some of these things when buying them. But gradually, studying their shape, materials and making has brought great inspiration to his work.

Among Chan's collection are several objects of curiosity dating back more than a century, including a set of books published in the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), with dozens of seal marks on the pages. The classy and neat design of the books impressed Chan so much that he calls them "a national treasure".