In 1960s Hong Kong, timber was big business. The city was full of carpenters who built everything from boats to fine furniture to simple tables, chairs and stools. But the industry's relocation to mainland China after the 1980s left many talented woodworkers without a market for their skills.
Today, a revival of sorts is taking place, with a small but dedicated group of woodworkers producing custom-made furniture and wooden objects in local studios, mostly hidden in Hong Kong's industrial areas.
“Almost all of us know each other,” says Filip Winiewicz, whose company Hardwood HK makes custom hardwood furniture. “It's a competition, but in a friendly way. Everyone has their own area of expertise.”
Some of these woodworkers create high-quality furniture designed using digital tools, while others focus on traditional joinery and historically inspired pieces. Some use salvaged materials and local wood from Hong Kong, while others seek out the best quality wood from overseas.
To find out more, we reached out to five local woodworkers, each with a unique approach to design, manufacturing and woodcraft, to understand why wood is making a comeback in Hong Kong.
Coutou woodworking studio
In 2017, Arthur Li Kin-shing and Yung Wing-yan wanted to bridge Hong Kong's history of industrial woodworking and the growing number of people interested in craft work. That led her to start Coutou, a community studio in To Kwa Wan that brings people together Sifu – Masters – with everyone who is interested in wood crafts.