Vivian Chiu: Passages of Time

Vivian Chiu in her Virginia, USA studio with vessels in progress from the Passages series.

Words and photos: Vivian Chiu

My work, titled Passages (those that carried us), consists of vessels created from reclaimed wood crates gifted to me by Wing On Wo & Co (W.O.W.), the oldest continuously operating storefront in Manhattan’s Chinatown. The shop, now in its fifth generation of ownership under Mei Lum, is renowned for selling Chinese porcelain ware imported from Asia since 1890.

How it came about

Mei contacted me at the end of 2022 letting me know they had a large quantity of wooden crates they were looking to gift to a woodworker. I gladly accepted their offer and sensed a duty and responsibility to honour these heirloom crates, recognising their role in safeguarding fragile goods. My idea was to transform the crates into the vessel forms they would have once held.

Each crate panel is meticulously deconstructed, cut into hundreds of individually faceted pieces, and reassembled into a traditional Chinese vessel form. This methodical process preserves the crates’ stampings and markings, serving as tangible traces of their journey from Hong Kong to the United States – a journey symbolically mirrored by my own migration, as well as the Lum family’s.

Family connections

I felt an extreme connection to Mei and her family in Chinatown. Both our families come from Hong Kong and we both have an immense drive to preserve and pay homage to our culture and the sacrifices of our elders.

While making these objects, I always had WOW and the Lum family in the back of my mind. I referenced vessel forms that are currently in the store as well as forms from my home in Hong Kong and historical archives. These crates were incredibly sentimental to the family. They had kept them for over 50 years, and working with this material allowed me to connect with my home in a more direct way.

The process

The crate wood was incredibly hard to work with. The slats of the panels were all different widths and densities, they weren’t flat and had cracks and checks all over. I couldn’t steam the wood because pine does not steam very well and I couldn’t kerf bend the wood because it was so brittle. Each individual facet had to be cut on the tablesaw to achieve any sort of curve.

After the panels were taken apart, the edge of each slat had to be jointed before gluing them back into a single piece before cutting into consistent straight widths. This would at least give me a straight edge to work with on the tablesaw. I took great care not to remove the face surfaces so I could preserve as much of the original patina and markings as possible.

Drawings were made for each vessel and plywood prototypes made to check angles before cutting glued-up panels into columns on the tablesaw. Then, referring to the drawing, the sawblade was angled for each corresponding row. Hand numbered stickers were used to keep track of every piece since a single vessel could have over 200 individual pieces. After the pieces were cut, each column was taped and glued in a jig to ensure each section had the same outer profile.

When it came to coopering, I couldn’t run each stave through the planer because it would explode into pieces if it hit an edge awkwardly. Instead, I developed a bandsaw jig so I could cut each stave at an angle for a 12-sided vessel. I then had to hand sand the edges on a homemade emery board to get the sides flat enough to glue together.

The series is still growing but currently there are about 30 pieces. I make each form in pairs so each form has a sibling. I have streamlined the process so that I can work on many pieces at the same time (since there is a lot of glue-up time). As of now I can make a pair in about a week but I have to stay hyper- focussed because at any point a wrong cut or angle can ruin the entire piece.

I was constantly in contact with Mei Lum and her father about my processes and decisions. These conversations with the Lum family infused these vessels with intergenerational perspectives on migration and the material culture of New York City’s Chinatown. I am incredibly inspired by Mei and her sense of duty to continue her family legacy and I am grateful to make beautiful objects to add to that story.

Passages was shown at the Houston Centre for Contemporary Craft in early 2024 and vessels may also be seen at WOW in New York. Vivian Chiu hopes to exhibit this series in Hong Kong in the future.

Vivian Chiu’s Passages (those that carried us) was Runner-up, Recycled & Rescued category, Maker of the Year Awards 2024.

Vivian Chiu @viv_chiu studied furniture design at the Rhode Island School of Design and then completed graduate studies in sculpture at Columbia University. She currently works and lives in Virginia, USA. Learn more at www.vivianchiustudio.com