Koura Tā · 2022
Fading Traditional Trades and Crafts Pukapuka
by Jesvin Yeo
- A' Design Award Koura 2022 in Tā
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 658,669
- Verification code C175C46C2E · Verify this award
Colors
About Fading Traditional Trades and Crafts Pukapuka
Ka whakamahi te pukapuka i te 3D embossing ki te tuhi me te whakanui i nga korero whakahirahira o nga mahi i mahia e nga tohunga toi o Singapore, mai i nga poti tarakona pepa me nga whakapaipai Inia tae noa ki nga hu beaded Peranakan. Ko nga wharangi tae e tohu ana i te pikinga me te hinga o nga mahi toi tuku iho, i te mea ka timata te ahumahi i tona wa whanaketanga (pouri) ki tona tau koura (kowhai) ka memeha haere (ma). Ka whakapiria he tioka pastel mo nga kaipānui ki te whakamarumaru i nga wharangi me te kite i nga toi ngaro o tenei taonga tuku iho o Singapore, na te mea ko tatou anake te tangata hei tiaki, hei tautoko me te whakahoki mai.
About the A' Design Award Koura
Ko Fading Traditional Trades and Crafts Pukapuka te toa o te A' Design Award Koura, he whakaaetanga tino whai mana e hoatu ana ki ngā hoahoa kōeke tuatahi, whakamīharo me te hiranga. Ko ngā toa Koura he mahi tino auaha, he tirohanga mamao, he kanapa ahi, e whakaatu ana i te pūmanawa, te mātauranga me te tohungatanga o ā rātou kaihoahoa. E tūmanakohia ana ko Fading Traditional Trades and Crafts Pukapuka he hanganga tūnga e whakatū ana i ngā ia, he whakanuia rawa, e kawe mai ana i te uara kāore anō kia kitea. Ko tēnei hoahoa i toa i te Koura he kaupapa whakamīharo, whakahonoretia e whakawhānui ana i ngā rohe o te toi, te pūtaiao, te hoahoa me te hangarau. Ka whakaara a Fading Traditional Trades and Crafts Pukapuka i te hiahia nui, ka whakaoho i te kaingākau, ka whakatenatena i te auaha, ā, ka whakamīharo i a tātou.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- What makes this book unique is the use of the 3D embossing technique, not just embossing, to highlight the intricate details of the works meticulously crafted by traditional Singaporean artisans, from dragon boats to Peranakan beaded shoes. With the pastel chalk, the book encourages reader engagement by colouring pages to discover the lost art of our ancestors, as only we humans can help safeguard, support and bring attention to the significance of this intangible cultural heritage.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Book Box: 145mm (width) x 305mm (height) x 52mm (thickness)
Book Box Sleeve: 540mm (width) x 220mm (height)
Book: 140mm (width) x 298mm (height) x 40mm (thickness)
Book Sleeve: 530mm (width) x 298mm (height)
Inside pages (accordion fold): 4350mm (width) x 290mm (height)
3 Hard Covers: Inside Cover, Front and Back Covers - Tags
- Traditional Artisans, Traditional Crafts, Cultural Artifacts, Intangible Cultural Heritage
- Production Technology
- The making of this book explores how to combine traditional book forms with new technologies, make traditional book forms more interesting through unusual structures and visual stimuli, and push the boundaries of book design. The book is of significance to the design field because it not only records the traditional crafts for future designers to explore and contribute to the local craft landscape but also examines book design as a form of vanishing traditional craft.
- Design Challenge
- The project challenges were facing the covid-19 pandemic and the difficulty of making 3D embossed plates. Production of the book was delayed for 6 months due to the intricateness of the artefacts and further halted for 8 months due to the spread of the coronavirus. The team worked closely with the production houses to ensure things could move forward smoothly, and we are grateful that all challenges were managed well in the end.
- Research
- Given the scarcity of available resources, the approach included analysing oral history data collected by the National Archives of Singapore under the Vanishing Trades project in the 1980s and conducting fieldwork with current and retired artisans to understand the current situation and future substantiate the findings. The aim of the project is to document Singapore lost or vanished traditional crafts so that future generations can learn about them even after they disappear.
- Inspiration
- Working with traditional artisans, I learned that when our ancestors came to Singapore in the 19th century from Malaya, China and India, they brought their values and livelihoods with them. These livelihoods include various forms of traditional crafts that have largely enriched Singapore cultural heritage. Thus, it is essential to record these crafts, some of which have vanished or will vanish within the next 20 years, and trace their place to the roots of their meaningful beginnings.
- Project Duration
- The project started in May 2015 in Singapore and finished production in December 2021. The book is on sale from March 2022.
- Operation Flow
- The colour pages of the book symbolize the rise and fall of traditional crafts, as the industry begins its developmental period (dull colour) to its golden age (yellow colour) and gradually fades (white colour). The pastel chalk is attached for readers to shade the pages and discover the lost arts of this intangible cultural heritage of Singapore.
- Patents
- Copyrights belong to Jesvin Yeo, 2021
- Image Credits
- All images: Photographer Victor Gui, 2021 and 2022
