Artist Inkgo says, “My mission is to breathe life into bamboo, to help the public to appreciate bamboo craftsmanship and to pass on this craftsmanship to future generations.”
Bamboo is widely used in everyday life and can be found all around us—from the bamboo steamers used for dim sum in tea houses to the finely crafted birdcages seen in local parks, each piece showcasing the wisdom and resilience of its craftsman. Today, bamboo craftsmanship has transcended the boundaries of everyday utility. Contemporary artists are transforming bamboo into elegant sculptural works and even large-scale artistic landmarks displayed outside museums, capturing the boundless possibilities that emerge from the interweaving of traditional Intangible Cultural Heritage and modern aesthetics.
For Hong Kong artist Inkgo Lam, bamboo craftsmanship represents both inheritance and innovation. After graduating from the Department of Fine Arts at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, she joined the Jockey Club ICH+ Innovative Heritage Education Programme (ICH+), embarking on her journey into the world of bamboo art. Through the programme, Inkgo apprenticed under Lui Ming, a great master in bamboo craftsmanship, learning the traditional techniques of bamboo steamer making. In a workshop filled with the aroma of bamboo, she began with the fundamental skill of “splitting bamboo”, using sheer perseverance to shave thick, rigid bamboo into paper-thin strips. Reflecting on the process, she comments, “It is truly magical that something as hard as bamboo can be transformed into strips almost as thin as paper.”
Inkgo recalls one particularly memorable creative experience. “Once, I completed a bamboo artwork inspired by the Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower and nervously sought my master’s opinion, worrying that its unconventional form might be seen as too radical. To my surprise, Master Lui did not find it strange at all but was extremely encouraging, supporting me to bring traditional craftsmanship into contemporary art exhibitions, which gave me a huge boost of confidence.”
Armed with the skills passed down by her master, Inkgo’s works have since been exhibited in Hong Kong and overseas, allowing her to gain extensive experience in indoor exhibitions. At present, she has extended her creative practice to the outdoors. “As an artist, I feel very fortunate to be able to present works in both indoor and outdoor settings,” she says. Her large-scale bamboo installation “Arrow” was featured in the outdoor public art exhibition of the Hong Kong Palace Museum as part of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: The Art Plaza Project at the Hong Kong Palace Museum. The work comprises three parts, linked by an invisible “arrow” piercing through “armour” that symbolises war, “fur” that represents hunting, and a “target” that signifies modern competition. Through these layered visual elements, she gives traditional bamboo a new contemporary artistic context.
The experience of creating this large-scale artwork has broadened Inkgo’s horizons. “Outdoor exhibitions offer audiences a completely different experience,” she explains. Moving from indoors to outdoors has altered not only the scale of her work, but also her craftsmanship behind it. To ensure this large-scale artwork could withstand wind, sunlight and rain, Inkgo devoted herself to the studio, hand-splitting each and every bamboo strip and repeatedly sanding and weaving them. “I believe the essence of craftsmanship lies in the accumulation of time and the discipline of self-refinement,” she reflects. The bamboo’s quality of being “flexible yet resilient” captured in this artwork also mirrors her own perseverance and resilience on her creative journey. The exhibition of this artwork in the outdoor space of the Hong Kong Palace Museum echoes our vision of promoting public art—breaking down the boundaries between art and daily life, bringing exquisite traditional craftsmanship into the community, whilst creating broader platforms for local artists.
In today’s highly mechanised world, Inkgo remains committed to experiencing the texture of bamboo firsthand. For her, handcrafted work carries a warmth and humanity that machines can never replicate. What she practises is precisely a lifelong dedication to mastering a single craft and refining herself through time and perseverance. Such commitment not only safeguards intangible cultural heritage, but also showcases its enduring vitality on the contemporary stage.
As a Hong Kong artist with a deep sense of dedication, Inkgo not only breathes life into hard materials but is determined to pass on this hard-earned craftsmanship to future generations. She says, “I, too, feel a deep sense of responsibility to preserve the techniques taught to me by my master and to pass them on to others as fully as possible, so that our traditional culture can continue to thrive.”
Did you know?
We are committed to promoting the development of arts and culture. Through the Jockey Club ICH+ Innovative Heritage Education Programme (ICH+), we encourage the younger generation to reimagine traditional craftsmanship through innovative thinking, transforming intangible cultural heritage into contemporary art and nurturing local heritage practitioners and inheritors. We have also launched The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: The Art Plaza Project at the Hong Kong Palace Museum, providing local artists with large-scale outdoor exhibition platforms that integrate art naturally into everyday life and promoting public appreciation of arts and culture.
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