SINGAPORE - The Harmony Spheres Lamp may look like a contemporary dining lamp, but it is a reinterpretation of a traditional Chinese lantern, from the materials it is made of to the significance behind its layered form.
Designers Melvin Ong and Xu Xiao, from industrial design company NextOfKin Creatives, were drawn to the cultural significance of Chinese lanterns, which they said represented familial values.
Working with Mr Jimm Wong, a local Chinese lantern maker, they designed a bamboo lantern composed of three spherical layers that can rotate individually, representing a family coming together.
"Designing a product inspired by a traditional craft pushed us out of our comfort zone, but I'm glad to have done this collaboration," said Mr Ong, 38.
The reimagined Chinese lantern was one of four works created by four teams of traditional craft practitioners and designers for the Craft X Design showcase.
The exhibition by the National Heritage Board (NHB) at the National Museum of Singapore is on from Friday (July 1) to July 31.
The showcase was introduced as part of NHB's efforts under the Our Singapore Heritage Plan to develop greater public appreciation for Singapore's cultural heritage.
At the same time, it exposes traditional craftsmen to new markets, helping them keep their art alive and relevant in a rapidly modernising society.
NHB chose four craftsmen for the Craft X Design showcase: Mr Jimm Wong, Indian rangoli artist Vijaya Mohan, Peranakan kebaya maker Raymond Wong and ketupat weaver Anita Tompang.
In July last year, NHB had an open call for designers to submit proposals for possible products they could design with the craftsmen. Out of 38 proposals, four were shortlisted.
The designers and craftsmen were given six months and an honorarium of $6,000 each, and up to $2,000 for materials and other related costs for the prototype.
Ms Mohan, 63, has been creating rangolis since she was a five-year-old growing up in India. Rangoli is a multi-coloured floor decoration that symbolises wealth, joy and prosperity, as well as thanksgiving to deities.
She has created more than 8,000 rangolis in Singapore, and currently holds the Guinness World Record for the largest rangoli pattern created.
She partnered local designer Jarrod Lim to design metal ware inspired by rangoli motifs.
Ms Mohan believes rangoli patterns are deeply therapeutic, and wants to expose Singaporeans to this art form.
"I gave him (Mr Lim) my designs, wondering how he could make a 3D product out of it. I was so impressed with the outcome," she said.
For Mr Lim, 44, translating the flat, two-dimensional patterns into a three-dimensional form was a challenge.
"The pattern was so intricate with over 160,000 lines, so laser-cutting it was very difficult. But it was worth it," he said.
The duo are planning to commercialise the product.
The other two projects are a Peranakan kebaya-inspired gown by Mr Raymond Wong and two local fashion designers from fashion label Aller Row, Ms Joanna Lim and Ms Joanne Quak, and a piece of furniture inspired by the traditional Malay ketupat, by Madam Tompang and designer Andrew Loh.
At the launch event on Friday at the museum, the guest of honour, Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth and Trade and Industry Low Yen Ling, said: "The range of products, from fashion to furniture to metal ware, speaks to the breadth of fresh ideas that can emerge from collaboration across different fields, when experienced craft practitioners and innovative designers start to imagine new possibilities for their crafts and designs."
