Incense Kūkulu Noʻeau ʻOhe by Lin Ching Ke

Incense Kūkulu Noʻeau ʻOhe by Lin Ching Ke is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award Keleawe in Hoʻolālā Hana Noʻeau a me Hoʻokomo Hana Noʻeau Competition Category.

KeleaweHana Noʻeau· 2026

Incense Kūkulu Noʻeau ʻOhe

by Lin Ching Ke

Client: Shilin Shennong Temple

A' Design Award Keleawe Winner in Hana Noʻeau Category

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Verified Award Winner

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Colors

The Design

About Incense Kūkulu Noʻeau ʻOhe

He kūkulu noʻeau ʻohe nui ʻo Incense i hana ʻia no kekahi luakini ma Taipei. Hoʻomaopopo hou kēia hana i ka hana hoʻomana kuʻuna o ke puhi ʻala. Ua hoʻopiʻo ʻia ka ʻohe Taiwan i loaʻa ma ka ʻāina ma ka wela a ulana ʻia i nā papa he nui, a ua hoʻohui ʻia nā lole ʻaniani ʻōlinolino. Hoʻomanaʻo ke kino wili i ka neʻe ʻana o ka uahi e piʻi ana. He 3000 milimika ka laulā, 3000 milimika ka hohonu, a he 4000 milimika ke kiʻekiʻe o ke kūkulu ʻana. Hiki i nā malihini ke hele a puni a ma lalo o ke kūkulu a nānā i ke kukui o ka lā e komo ana ma waena o ka ulana ʻohe.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Keleawe

Ua lanakila ka hoʻolālā Incense Kūkulu Noʻeau ʻOhe i ka A' Design Award Keleawe, he ʻike hoʻohanohano nui loa i hāʻawi ʻia i nā hoʻolālā kūʻokoʻa i ʻike ʻia ma o ka hana noʻeau, ka akamai a me ka makakoho. He mau hana mākaukau a hana noʻeau kupaianaha nā lanakila Keleawe e hōʻoia ana i ka ʻike nui, ka noʻonoʻo a me ka maʻalea o kā lākou poʻe hoʻolālā. Manaʻo ʻia ʻo ka hoʻolālā Incense Kūkulu Noʻeau ʻOhe he mea i mahalo nui ʻia, hoʻohiwahiwa ʻia a aloha ʻia, he ʻoihana a hou loa. ʻO kēia hoʻolālā i lanakila i ka A' Design Award Keleawe e hoʻohui ana i nā hana maikaʻi loa o ka hana noʻeau, ka ʻepekema, ka hoʻolālā a me ka ʻenehana, a maikaʻi no kona nānā ʻana i nā kikoʻī. Hoʻokō maikaʻi ka hoʻolālā Incense Kūkulu Noʻeau ʻOhe i nā pono, hoʻopā i ka makemake, hoʻohiwahiwa i nā manaʻo a huki i ka makemake e ʻike.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: Incense is a large scale bamboo installation that reinterprets the ritual of incense burning through contemporary spatial art. By integrating translucent textiles with organic bamboo structures, the work captures the ephemeral quality of rising smoke. The installation invites viewers into a quiet encounter with spiritual transcendence, bridging traditional cultural practices and modern aesthetics.
Dimensions & Packaging: The installation measures 3000 millimeters in width, 3000 millimeters in depth, and 4000 millimeters in height.
Tags: Bamboo installation, ritual art, incense culture, temple-inspired, spiritual design, contemporary craft, Taiwanese bamboo, ephemeral forms, faith and memory, sustainable installation
Production Technology: Crafted from locally sourced Taiwanese bamboo, the installation utilizes original weaving techniques developed by the artist. Through heat-bending, multi layered weaving, and precise structural calculations, the design forms a spiraling shape that echoes the movement of smoke. The work harmonizes engineering precision with the natural flexibility of bamboo, resulting in a structure that is both stable and ethereal.
Design Challenge: The primary challenge was achieving structural balance between visual lightness and physical stability. Traditional bamboo techniques were adapted for large scale application, requiring iterative experimentation, sensitivity to environmental factors, and thoughtful integration with the historical context of the sacred site.
Research: This project involved design research focused on reinterpreting incense rituals through the use of sustainable materials. The objective was to visualize ephemeral smoke using stable spatial forms. The process included material experimentation, digital simulation, and structural prototyping. The results highlighted bamboo’s potential to express intangible cultural heritage within a contemporary design framework.
Inspiration: Incense draws inspiration from the intangible cultural tradition of incense burning in Taiwanese temples. The ephemeral movement of smoke and its spiritual connotation are reimagined through contemporary spatial design, transforming invisible rituals into a meditative and immersive visual experience that connects memory, faith, and modern life.
Project Duration: The project was developed over a six month period in Taipei, with installation completed at Shilin Shen Nong Temple between August 8 and September 8, 2024.
Operation Flow: Viewers are invited to move around and beneath the installation, observing shifting patterns of light and shadow as natural sunlight filters through the bamboo weave. This dynamic interaction encourages quiet contemplation, evoking the transience of incense smoke and establishing a dialogue between spiritual ritual and contemporary interpretation.