I have always wanted to create objects related to Chinese culture. For this exhibition, I have incorporated carving techniques and blended the elements of the “Four Gentlemen” (Traditional Chinese culture): plum blossom, orchid, chrysanthemum, and bamboo.

Since I was a child, my father has always loved Chinese craftsmanship. Our home used to be full of wooden Chinese furniture and Chinese hanging paintings.
I later studied and worked abroad, and it was only when I returned to Hong Kong that I reconnected with these roots. The items steeped in Chinese culture left behind at home—stemming from my father’s deep love for crafts like woodwork and ceramics—along with various ornaments and furniture, have remained deeply etched in my mind. I have always wanted to present them in my own unique way.
When we were small, my grandmother and father would gift us pendants, such as jade ornaments, or notebooks. On one occasion, my father gave my three sisters and me a set of notebooks themed around the plum blossom, orchid, chrysanthemum, and bamboo.
My Chinese name is Chan Kwan Wai. Whenever someone asks me which “Kwan” it is, I always reply that it is the “Kwan” with the bamboo radical. Because of this, I have always had a special affection for bamboo.

Gallery address: S704, 7/F, Block A, PMQ, 35 Aberdeen Street, Central