interviews
aha interview by HYPEBEAST DEC 2019
HOW TO:如何投入陶瓷文化?| HYPEBEAST 邀請陶藝家製作入門指南
讓陶藝融入生活
「你必須持續思考自己的生活習慣為何,怎樣的模式以及箇中的成因,檢視可能存在多餘的部分及改善的方法。」- Riz,aha.living 店主
本為美術指導的 Riz,現開設了 aha.living 瓷器生活用品專門店,售賣各式各樣於世界各地旅遊時蒐羅回港的特色瓷器及家品。Riz 的旅行模式十分隨性,沒有特別的規劃,卻總是無心插柳地遇上當地的瓷器店,也許這就是所謂的「購物運」。店內擺放著林林總總的特色瓷器擺設,但因入貨量有限,全都以先到先得的方式發售。
說起陶藝文化對她的影響,Riz 表示必須由進食說起。由於 Riz 個人十分喜歡採用瓷器進食,於她而言在使用瓷器的過程中,除了基本進食外,她還能感受截然不同的體驗。「我感受到自己真的在吸收食物中的營養,亦會因而開始思考自己當天的需要。整個過程於我而言更像是冥想,在進食的當下,能透過食器的細節引發思考。」
陶藝文化在一般人眼中也許只是一種興趣,或是一項陶冶性情的活動。但對某些人來說,那更像是一種修為,一種改善生活質素的方法。有的人在陶瓷製作的過程中找到內心的平靜,有的人藉由陶藝向外界表達自己的所思所想,亦有人因為寫過一篇關於投入陶瓷文化的專題而自此迷上這門藝術… 不論是著手製作的一方還是站在另一端感受作者的溫度,以不同身分去投入這種文化亦自能悟出每個層面獨有的體會。簡而言之,講多無謂,行動最實際。
Producer | Shireen Lee/Hypebeast
Videographer | Kendra Koh/Hypebeast, Keith Hui/Hypebeast
Editor | Kendra Koh/Hypebeast
aha interview by OBSCURA MAGAZINE MAR 2020
FINALLY FOUND WHERE I BELONG.
客人來到,寫意地逛,逐一摸摸店裡的器具,到最後拿起了什麼,她總是忍不住默默觀察。每一件她都有,她知道那個陶製飯壺會令隔夜米飯香甜起來,但那是自己的使用方式,是自己才了解的感覺。所以「初初我沒有說的,但買回去他們使用後跟我分享想法,居然就是我本來想傳達的東西。」遇到了同樣敏感的客人讓她感到幸福 ,有人跟她說「明明在吃同一種食物,或只是叫外賣,但拿了喜歡的碟子盛著,吃的時候我在笑。」或是想著「今晚我想吃什麼呢?」於是從不喜歡下廚的妻子開始學習料理。她常鼓勵大家買了器具回去就如常地吃,可以是雞蛋仔、咖哩魚蛋、蛋撻,笑說那位日本陶藝作家應該想像不到這種光景。
「那像是一條線,當人開始意識到生活裡這部分的細節,其他部分也會開始看見。」
“The most important thing to learn in my life is what is genuinely the best for me,”
says Riz, the owner of Aha Living.
It is always Riz’s habit to observe her customers. She would quietly enjoy watching them walking around, see how they would first give a little touch on the products before picking up any of them. She understands all the items thoroughly well because she also owns all of them herself. She has read about how the ceramic rice container can bring out the fragrance of leftover rice, but it was only after she had used it herself did she fully grasp the essence. She says, “I didn’t tell them my thoughts at the beginning, but when they came back to me to share their experience after using the product, it turned out to be exactly the same way I thought.” She can always find delight in meeting people who are sensitive like her. Some customers told her, “I was only having my usual meal or some takeaways, but serving the food on the plates I like simply made the eating experience a lot more enjoyable.” Some said these tableware made them look forward to planning a nice dinner, and hence they got to find pleasure in cooking. Riz encourages her customers not to be too careful with the tableware, and says they can use them for serving bubble waffle, curry fishballs or egg tarts. The Japanese potter who made these pottery must be fascinated to see them being used for serving Hong Kong street food.
“It is like a door. When people became aware of a small detail of their daily life, they would enter a realm to see the rest of the details.”
2008年開始不斷旅行,2012才到亞洲以外的地方,去了北歐一個月。城市的孩子看見草地不敢踩下去,朋友就跟她說「你就踩吧!草的作用就是防滑啊!」原來可以在草地上滾來滾去曬太陽的!每天日照只有三小時,第一天就幸運地看到北極光了!第二天早上,鄰屋跑來拍門說鯨魚來了!快去看!「這些這些好像讓我知道,原來人可以這樣相處的。」
「以前有過很長一段日子對這個地方有股憤怒,覺得為什麼是這樣,所以不停出走,在這個城市也只會待在自己的空間,獨個享受使用這些器具,那能讓我安靜,好像旅行的感覺仍在,其實很絕望的。」在開店之後才發現,原來感受過的東西,本來意義不明的,後來會變成這樣,自己給了一些想法出去,他們又會再給我支持。
Riz has been constantly on the road since 2008, but it was only until 2012 that she began to explore the places outside of Asia. In the same year, she spent one full month in the Nordics. As a person who grew up in a big city, Riz was very hesitant to step onto the grass, but then her friend just encouraged her to go ahead, saying, “Grass is supposed to protect you from slipping!” Then, she finally tried rolling and sunbathing on the grass. There were only three hours of daylight every day during her trip, and she was lucky enough to see the aurora. The next day, her neighbor knocked on her door and said, “The whale is here, let’s go check it out!” This trip seems to have taught her a completely new way of human interaction.
“There was a long period of time when I used to feel mad at this place. I found this city absurd, so all I could do was to travel, to be on the road. Even when I stayed, I would spend time in my own space. Using these utensils calmed me down, they gave me an illusion that I was still on my journey. That was a desperate feeling,” Riz continues to say that the shop has inspired her a lot; not only did she have a better grasp of her sensitivity, but she also gained valuable support from her customers.
「多年前去了日本一個偏遠地方看瀑布,山區裡有條橋,中間放了一堆蔬菜,原來是賣的,才知道很多鄉間的婆婆會做些手工或摘些野菜擺賣,就放一個錢箱在旁邊,大家自助付款,那種信任很深刻。」
曾經有個杯子出奇地放在店裡三個月了,有天一位很久沒來的客人上來就看見它、拿了起來、買了回家。「時間有時對我來說不是順序的。好像是註定那個人想找某個杯,才令我在某個國家遇到然後帶回來跟他相認。有其他客人說之前都沒有看到它啊。」而她就像將菜放在橋上賣的那些婆婆呢!還建立起一個小村莊,這裡大家都願意等待剛好的來到。
“I went to a remote area in Japan many years ago to see a waterfall. In that area, I saw a pile of vegetables in the middle of a bridge that was for sale. I later realized the elderlies in the countryside would sell their homegrown vegetables that way. All they do is to place a moneybox next to their vegetables for people to put money in there themselves. I was utterly impressed by this level of trust they have with strangers.”
There was a mug that remained unsold in the shop for three months, then a customer, whom Riz had not seen for a while came to the shop. She just picked it up and bought it. “Things sometimes happen in an unpredictable sequence. It feels to me that that mug has to belong to that person. That was why I took it to Hong Kong from another country, and that’s why no other customers took a look at the mug,” says Riz. This way of thinking reminds me of the elderlies who sell vegetables on the bridge in Japan. Her shop well represents the essence of her tiny village, where everyone is willing to be patient to wait for something that is meant for them.
她不愛看地圖,喜歡沒有計劃的旅行,下飛機才想想今天要去哪呢,感覺那裡會有好東西就向那邊走,像古人尋找水源,靠直覺行走的她笑說事前做資料搜集太累人了啊。但看著桌上厚重的杯盤碗碟,每件都是放進行李箱自己扛回來的,背到後來腰都傷了。
「在日本遇到過一間店,牆上不同位置都掛了一些吊飾,近看才知道原來每個吊飾背後那幅牆身都有道裂紋,吊飾看起來卻像祝福一樣。文化不同,我們傾向於修補,破爛會是個煩惱。但器具打破了,也開始讓我學懂去接受。好像都在教我一些事,像這些很重扛回來的,便叫我下次要疼自己多點。」
好奇現在於她,回家和旅行的分別是什麼呢?
「當家裡是自己思考過想要的模樣,我現在的家就是這樣子。以前很愛往外走,恨不得不回家,但現在就算在旅行,我都會掛念自己的家。『啊,我好想回家。』好像……找到自己的核心了。我真的愛這個空間,全都是真的需要才買下來,當整個空間是這樣建構出來的,這裡就是你自己旅行的地方。待多久也會享受。」
破碎後的碗盤、茶漬的杯子。每天下班後、假日賴床起來的吃食。拌著滿腹的生活氣味,沒有堆砌,只是所需。那些場景,好像是關於物,然後你令它活了。
Riz is not a fan of map-reading, and she likes to travel without a plan. She would start to think of a place to visit only when she gets off the plane and go wherever her instinct leads her to. Doesn’t this sound like the way our ancestors used to discover water sources? While Riz finds it tiring to do research ahead of a trip, she is definitely fine with carrying all those heavy tableware in her luggage, even to the extent that she hurt her back.
“I’ve once been to a shop in Japan that hangs a lot of ornaments on the wall. When I took a close look at it, I found out that they were there to cover up cracks on the wall. These ornaments are also like a blessing. Our culture encourages us to mend broken things and get upset when things are broken. But I now learn to accept seeing things being broken. Every broken piece is a lesson for me to learn. Looking at these heavy tableware that I carried on my back, I am reminded to treat myself better in the future.”
As a frequent traveler, how does Riz see being home and traveling?
“Home is where my heart really belongs. This is how I would describe my current home. I used to have a strong craving for traveling. It wasn’t a problem at all not to be home, but I do get homesick now when I’m on a trip. I am desperate to go home when I’m elsewhere. I believe I finally found where I belong. I really love this place, everything here was bought for a reason. This is the way I constructed my own space, this is where I would like to travel to and enjoy spending time in. I can never get tired of this place.”
Shattered plates and bowls, cups full of tea stain… Day in and day out, finally it’s the long-awaited weekend. Life is a series of trivial events that feel mundane but substantial at the same time. Your life depends on day-to-day objects that in turn also define how you live.
aha living 是香港一所選物店,以生活器具為主,想著「回家就是旅行」,由店主Riz從旅行帶回來具質感也實用的好物跟大家分享。採預約制,讓客人可在舒適的環境下摸摸每件物件,細心選擇真正想要的。
aha living is a select shop that specializes in homeware products in Hong Kong. With a notion of “home is where the journey begins”, the shop’s owner Riz gathers from her trips an eccentric collection of items that are both substantial and practical. Only taking visits by appointment, the shop ensures every customer can browse her collection in leisure and have a touch of everything to find the piece that genuinely clicks.
WORDS / JAS TSE
PHOTOGRAPHY / AHA LIVING
TRANSLATION / IRIS HEUNG
aha interview by StoryTeller APR 2020
#Storyteller:【手工食器店長 Riz】
「買 CD,一定要買美版或日版,千萬不能買港版!」
小時候,哥哥總是教她不能為了五十元差價而買便宜一點的港版。她雖然未完全明白唱片質素的差異,但摸著 CD 附送的歌詞小書,她也發現日版的確有點不同⋯⋯
小朋友的觸覺特別敏銳,比大人更能留意細微事物,那時候的她,會花上很多時間摸那些歌詞小書,雖然說不出,但她總覺得紙上的墨印得比較漂亮。
「用心做的東西,自然會感覺到。就好像有種共振,那些東西會懂得和你溝通。」
她是 Riz,aha living 店長。aha living 是一間專門售賣 Riz 在旅途中搜集而來各類手工食器的樓上小店,在新蒲崗開店至今已經年半。地方小小,東西種類卻不少,不過每件食器只得一件起兩件止,基本上都是她旅行時親自帶回,要拿起親手秤過,覺得有 Feel 才會買下。
Riz 自言,自己的美學訓練源於從小到大都成長在一個離地環境。
「哥哥有部 LD 機,在當時來說是高清畫質,和錄影帶完全不同。」Riz 說自己由小學開始,便深受年紀比她大六年的哥哥薰陶,「我就好像哥哥的寵物一樣,他都將自己喜歡的東西傳給我。」她的哥哥會播 Michael Jackson 的 《HIStory》,會看《未來戰士》,但最重要的,是電影《幻海奇緣》(台譯《剪刀手愛德華》)
「那時我才小學三年班,已經會看《Edward Scissorhands》。我不斷翻看它的片頭,看得光碟都充滿花痕。」年小的她就浸醉在那個畫面之中,要到後來她才知道那是添布頓(Tim Burton)的作品,於是她有追看了添布頓的所有作品,沉迷在他的奇幻風格。
在 Riz 很小的時候,爸爸就離開了,由於媽媽要忙於顧家,家中只有姐姐和哥哥,沒有人會特別照顧她,所以她只能透過影視作品看世界。小時候不斷重看的一個片頭,不斷重聽的音樂專輯,都是她很重要的回憶。由於沒有機會去旅行,當時她覺得世界就是如此,甚至以為 Johny Depp 在世人標準中算是靚仔。
她笑指,小時候金城武在她學校附近拍戲,更曾經和金城武握手,於是她對靚仔的標準,便是界乎於 Johny Depp 和金城武之間的微妙距離,算是誤打誤撞,讓自己的美學脫離了主流。
小時候沒有機會旅行,長大後就要去夠本。大約十年前起,Riz 不斷去旅行,旅程中遇到令自己有 Feel 的食器就買下。即使已經擁有足夠的器物,但仍有很多東西令她有 Feel,於是她便想將這些感覺分享給其他人。
Riz 說,開店整件事既突發又充滿巧合。本來她和友人合租新蒲崗空間,後來朋友退出,另一半空間沒有用途,在朋友鼓勵下便有開舖打算。雖然要賣的東西早就整理好,卻不巧陷入情緒低潮,而遲遲未能開舖。一天,相熟漫畫家小克來探望時,將她擺設的食器放上網,便立即有人有意參觀;另一位朋友 Kim 的藝術場地 Parallel Space 在 10 月 14 日開店,於是慫恿 Riz 在同一天開店,讓大家不用再另找一天慶祝⋯⋯突然之間,一切運作起來。
「太多事情不能計劃,但時機到了就會自動就位;世界瘋狂,我們只能隨心而行。」她說。
某年, Riz 在日本得到一張海報,海報介紹一個剛好在 10 月 14 日開幕的展覽。她便將海報帶回香港,用木框裱起放在店內,珍而重之地紀念著。一切似乎冥冥中自有注定。
「進食是一個儀式。」她說。
Riz 相信,將營養吸入身體,是不可能輕視的重要事情。由於味精敏感和習慣茹素,Riz 通常只能自己煮食,於是她每次都會配合精挑細選的食器,盛載用心製作的料理,感覺就像回到小時候那種感觀敏銳的狀態。
「當你拿起一隻碗,會摸到它是冷是熱,又想起從土地而來的陶泥,經過人手和火焰,最後成為一件獨一無二的食器,感覺很奇妙,然後我又用這個從土地而來的工具盛載同樣是由土地而來的米飯 ⋯⋯」
吃飯同時浮想聯翩,Riz 心中總會感到一陣平靜。她覺得,一切都是來自地球的禮物,她會感謝世上的一切,包括太陽、植物⋯⋯
Riz 從來不會說食器是商品,對她來說,這些食器都是藝術品,都是家人。
「用心感受的話,生活自然會改變。親身感受好過我講一萬句。」
她提到,Freelance 工作遇上的客人總有很多無理要求,每個人都想將公司 Logo 放到最大,卻不管設計實際上美不美;收到設計後,客人更從來不會道謝。她一直覺得,這是香港教育的問題。
她慶幸 aha 的客人總是對生活感覺細膩,買東西回家後會和 Riz 分享心得,甚至讓她發現那些器物她從未想過的用法 ⋯⋯ 既然人不能擁有所有事物,她可以將自己喜歡的東西分享給人,然後得著更多。Riz 始終覺得,小店有種無法取化的人情味,一種令人懷念的社區關係。
正因為客人要先預約才能到訪,Riz 對每位前來 aha 的客人都有很深印象。她形容所有人都很友善,買到東西會道謝,打爛了食器會傷心,甚至會盡量想辦法修補。
「真正適合的東西可以用一世,就好像多了一個家人一樣。」
Riz 選擇的食器全都是 Handmade 的東西,因為獨一無二,所以只能隨緣,她一般只會在客人選擇得太苦惱時會出手。
「香港人不懂得選擇,不知道甚麼東西才適合自己。」她說。
她提到,原始人總是懂得問自己問題,用直覺生活:口渴就去找水源,肚餓就去打獵;現代人卻往往不知道自己想要甚麼,總是被他人告知自己應該怎樣生活 ⋯⋯
「做一件事前,我們應該先問自己出發點是甚麼。假如出發點是愛的話,無論是為自己,為他人,還是為環境,都會是好事;假如出發點是恐懼的話,就不會是好事。自己就是自己人生的編劇,身邊遇到的每一個人都是一面鏡,一面讓我們學做一個更好的人的鏡。跟隨心行走,好人好事自然會出現。」
她相信,既然沒有人能告訴你未來是怎樣,我們更應該重新審視生活,好好問自己問題,學習回歸由心出發地過每一天。
Riz 做了很久 Freelancer,自問總是人㨂工不是工㨂人,有時覺得自己太任性。她身邊一直有兩種朋友,一種過著「有廿蚊就用廿蚊生活」的日子,另一種生活早就穩定。Riz 當然是前者,一直在今日唔知聽日事的生活中掙扎,於是對著相對穩定的後者,心中難免有種內疚,但假如要 Riz 為生活妥協, 她又絕對不能接受。擁有了 aha living 這間小店後,讓 Riz 找到無需妥協,完全由心而發的生活。
就像小學三年級的她,摸著日本專輯的歌詞小書,比大人更能留意細微事物,更用心感受事物。
現在的她,仍時刻憑生活上的細節,喚醒那顆純真細膩的赤子之心。
Storyteller:Riz @aha.living
Text by @wongyuehang2047