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Take a stroll down memory lane and right into the heart of KL’s Chinatown. Since its launch almost two years ago, Kwai Chai Hong has been keeping Bai Chuan Management (the team behind the restoration project that brought to life the charming laneway between Lorong Panggung and Jalan Petaling, as well as the 10 heritage shophouses that lie within the compound) busy by consistently introducing exciting art installations and activities to transform the space while generating interest and conversations among those who enjoy celebrating the good old days in a modern setting.
If you’re a budding artist/photographer or one who simply loves to find new Insta-worthy spots every week, make your way to Kwai Chai Hong anytime between 26th March and 2nd May 2021 to check out the ‘Everlasting Beauty’ installation. Paying tribute to the classic Wan Shou Wu Jiang porcelain design that’s often found in the homes of Chinese families (whether it’s in the form of rice bowls, plates or tea sets), it is also infused with inspiration from the popular Chinese floral design, Bao Xiang Hua.
For this set-up, Bai Chuan Management roped in local artist Alice Chang of Lai Lai Art Studio to turn what would otherwise be considered ‘waste’ into fascinating works of art. The idea came about when Alice saw how a beautiful porcelain plate that had served hundreds of memorable dinners was quickly discarded the moment it was chipped. Fun fact: according to Chinese superstition, a chipped plate is an omen of misfortune. “There is so much memory behind these plates that it breaks my heart to see them being thrown away,” said Alice. “Now I can give them a new purpose – as art pieces that people can appreciate for a long time.”
Having had the chance to preview them up-close earlier, here are the three masterpieces that you must see for yourself:
The Lady
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The gateway to Kwai Chai Hong has a new resident in the form of a permanent art sculpture that’s set to greet visitors day and night, and that was painstakingly put together by Alice. Simply called ‘The Lady’, this graceful work of art showcases a hauntingly beautiful lady in a red cheongsam and green shoes, and is made from thousands of porcelain pieces that have been repurposed from Chinese porcelain bowls, plates, cups/mugs and teapots – a genius way of upcycling them, I reckon!
The Chickens
Let’s see if you can find this little surprise and permanent pieces of wall art that’s located pretty close to ‘The Lady’! Every detail that you see here tells a story and rich history – so imagine what lies behind the hundreds of yellow and red pieces of Chinese porcelain that were used to construct the two chickens and an egg.
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The Traditional Fabric-Dye Textiles
Here’s a fine example of tradition-meets-creativity-meets-technology. The 280 metres of stunning Wan Shou Wu Jiang design fabric installation is a modern interpretation of the traditional fabric dye factory display (aka colourful textile hanging over bamboo stilts to dry!) that has been brought to life using dye-sublimation printing by Epson’s SureColor SC-F9430 dye-sublimation digital textile production printer. A collab between Kwai Chai Hong and Epson Malaysia, the traditional fabric-dye installation represents how old and dying crafts are innovated and transformed into various forms of art. Imagine the eye-catching colours of Chinese porcelain coming to life right before your eyes, with the result meant to look as realistic as possible, complete with faded bits.
Come in your best outfit and with your trusty cam cos you’re going to take loads of photos and videos of these three new masterpieces at Kwai Chai Hong. On a breezy day, you’ll even score lots of good takes amidst the billowing Wan Shou Wu Jiang design fabric-dye installation. But if you want to test how good the night mode of your cam is, pop by in the evening and go for drinks in one of the resto-bars after, to end your day on a good note!
Visit the ‘Everlasting Beauty’ installation at Kwai Chai Hong anytime between 26th March and 2nd May 2021 from 9am to 12 midnight daily.
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