The artisans behind Hong Kong’s woodworking revival
A new generation of Hong Kong joiners are riding high on a handmade carpentry renaissance, using everything from local trimmings to imported timber to elevate their craft
In 1960s Hong Kong, timber was big business. The city was full of carpenters building everything from boats to fine furniture to simple tables, chairs and stools. But the shift of the industry to mainland China after the 1980s left many talented woodworkers without an outlet for their skills.
Today, there is something of a revival taking place, with a small but dedicated number of woodworkers making custom furniture and wood objects in local studios, mostly tucked away in Hong Kong’s industrial areas.
“Almost all of us know each other,” says Filip Winiewicz, whose company, Hardwood HK, makes bespoke hardwood furniture. “It’s competition but in a friendly way. Everyone has their own area of expertise.”
Some of those woodworkers are making high-concept furniture designed with digital tools, while others are focusing on traditional joinery and historically inspired pieces. Some use salvaged materials and local Hong Kong wood while others seek out the best quality timber from overseas.
To learn more, we reached out to five local woodworkers, each with a distinctive approach to design, fabrication and woodcraft, to understand why wood is making a comeback in Hong Kong.
Coutou Woodworking Studio
In 2017, Arthur Li Kin-shing and Yung Wing-yan wanted to build a bridge between Hong Kong’s history of industrial woodworking and the growing number of people interested in taking up crafts. That led them to start Coutou, a collaborative studio in To Kwa Wan that brings together sifu – masters – with anyone interested in learning about woodcraft.
