Aromatic Dialogue
About the Artwork
Crystal Liew and Takeshi Fujii's collaborative artistry, embodied in two kettles, a coffee drip pot, a teapot, and a substantial sculptural installation, exemplifies the harmonious fusion of aesthetic refinement and practical function.
Aromatic Dialogue juxtaposes a set of drinkware created in dialogue with each other, as the artisans exchanged their coppersmithing techniques, each participating in various stages of both pieces' creation. This collaborative process is mirrored in the cultural themes: the teapot represents Hong Kong's rich tea-drinking history, while the coffee drip pot reflects the significance of coffee culture in Japan. The work thus functions as both a literal set of vessels and a metaphorical container for these distinct cultural narratives.
Story of Traditional Craft
| Tsuiki technique |
A hammer's dance with copper, creating unique, breathtaking metalware—each piece a one-of-a-kind conversation between artisan and material.
Tsuiki technique is the craft of using hammers (tsui) to raise (ki) a flat sheet of copper into a three-dimensional ware. After annealing the sheet, different hammers are used to add decorative patterns and shape the metal into various sizes. Tsuiki fully utilizes the malleability of copper to shape into exquisite pieces such as teapots, tea caddies, coffee pots, cooking pots, and sake cups. This traditional metalworking technique has a history of over 200 years in Tsubame, Niigata, Japan.
The craft is a conversation between the artisans and copper. Each strike of the hammer is a ‘word’ in a conversation and story told in curves, textures and subtle shifts in light. The seemingly simple act of hammering becomes a dance of precision and intuition, where the artisans’ skill coaxes the malleable copper into breathtaking forms. And the best part? No two pieces are ever truly alike–each is a unique expression of this intimate dialogue, a testament to the handcrafted nature of Tsuiki.
Making Process
Crystal and Takeshi used a variety of metalsmithing techniques to create the set of drinkware, including raising and sinking, planishing, soldering and annealing. Each technique serves a particular purpose, and when combined, they complement one another to transform pieces of metal into functional and artistic crafts.
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