Practicing Ecocarpentree
I am drawn to wood which is irregular, has lived many lives already, and will live many more. We live in a world where we are ourselves and are surrounded by infinite potentialities. Living is transforming. Ecocarpentree is not only an embodiment of this, but the refutation of the belief that anything can be truly discarded or is ever worthless. These discards are simply unseen, undeveloped, and/or underappreciated--from a human perspective. On the other hand, things, in and of themselves, in as much as they are what they are, require nothing other than themselves.
When I began ecocarpentree, I would collect driftwood from the beaches of Hong Kong. I felt appalled at the waste of potential in all the scraps of wood and other items I found. I chose to give these items new lives and purposes within the human world which had discarded and forgotten them. As such, this reclaimed and repurposed wood offers a different perspective on single use culture and speaks to the indomitable beauty of Nature and its lifespan which far outnumbers that of Humanity.
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One Hong Kong island which I am particularly fond of is Tang Chau. Tang Chau, or shell island, is a tiny slip of land which is prone to disappear under the shadow of tidal waves. The island is an amalgamation of shells, bones, plastics, wild vegetation, wood, and miscellaneous debris which blow about Tolo Harbour and beyond. As the painting depicts, the island is very lively and prone to movement.
Tang Chau 44.5 x 29 x 1.27 cm
While I no longer have the luxury of living next to an ocean, I do still find myself called to collect discarded pieces of lumber and create new pieces of furniture with them. For my part, I reveal the potential of discarded items to not only revitalize them, but to encourage everyone to reconsider the material 'cost' of living. In this vein, I also enjoy restoring antiques. My Instagram page contains my most recent ecocarpentree and restoration projects #eluciousdesign.
Above: Driftwood, bamboo, acrylic, glass vase, mother of pearl heart inlay, clay accents. This is a wonderful display piece with many places to display items. The piece is built around a single V-shaped branch which spans the length of the piece.
119 x 89 x 30.5 cm
Above: Driftwood, bamboo dowels, acrylic, glass vase, mother of pearl heart inlay. This table functions as a halltree and has a holographic finish.
72 x 71 x 23cm
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Left: Driftwood, bamboo dowels, acrylic, glass vase, mother of pearl heart inlay; lamp made from recycled newspaper, acrylic, upcycled prisms, and electrical wiring and light bulb. Also, included faux flowering vine to further obscure the wiring.
66 x 203 x 20cm