The long grass and vines growing in the fields are often ignored or even unwelcome.

As this year's artist-in-residence, Kay Wong hopes to lead participants in the form of workshops to explore in depth the fallen leaves and weeds in the jungle that are despised or even ignored. The workshop invites participants to transform weeds into a unique Shimekazari* (注連飾り). This workshop isn't just about creating a New Year decoration, however; it's a celebration of nature's misfits and showcasing how sustainable practices can turn what’s overlooked into objects of aesthetic and cultural value. 

*Shimekazari (注連飾り) is a common traditional decoration during the Japanese New Year. They are mainly made of shimenawa - a sacred rice straw rope – with pine and bitter oranges symbolising prosperity. They have the beauty of wabi-sabi; some also include various mascots and decorations. Hanging one on the door has the meaning of attracting blessings and purification, as well as praying for peace and health.

Content
Participants will identify and collect wild grasses or vines on a group exploration of KFBG. By sharing the techniques of cordage making, looping, stitching, and knotting, participants will be able to create their own distinctive Shimekazari hangings in preparation for the New Year.

While creating hanging decorations, we will help remove invasive alien plants from nature and demonstrate sustainable practices by transforming fallen leaves into objects with aesthetic and cultural value. The creative process of making the Shimekazari will be thought-provoking for participants, while a key theme of the art exhibition ‘Waltz with the Misfits: In Steps with Nature’, curated by Kay Wong, is to allow them to reflect on the importance of harmonious coexistence between humans and the surrounding environment.

Let your fingers twist and entwine with the vines, and discover the hidden beauty of nature in the twisting and knotting. Let’s dance together and weave poems of sustainability and creativity.

Instructors Kay Wong   Kay is a fashion designer turned Green artivist. After 10 years of chasing trends and flogging collections in the international fashion scene under the name of Daydream Nation, she found herself left with an empty heart and a studio filled with production waste.  Kay is now on a mission to create zero-waste art and design, to show people the true cost of overconsumption, and to play her very small, but hopefully significant, part in being a gentler member of Planet Earth.

Date                        
Class A: 2 November 2024 (Sat) 
Class B: 9 November 2024 (Sat) 
Class C: 16 November 2024 (Sat)
Class D: 23 November 2024 (Sat) 

Time                       
Class A: 9:30am - 12:30 pm
Class B,C,D: 1:30pm - 4:30pm

Venue
Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden

Language
Cantonese 

Target Audience   
12 years or above
*participants under 18 must be accompanied by an adult

Capacity
14 people per class 

Fee
HK$480 per person
*Including admission fee, activity fee and programme materials.

Notes

• Payment is not refundable after acceptance unless the programme is cancelled due to inclement weather or under-enrolment.
• Please be reminded that people with G6PD Deficiency need to state this clearly on the application form.
• Registration for group applications is open from Monday to Saturday (except public holidays) throughout the year. Please send an email to alice.lam@kfbg.org for more details.

Application
Please CLICK HERE to submit your online application one week before the course starts.
Applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

Enquiry
Contact Ms Alice Lam at 2483 7276 during office hours or email alice.lam@kfbg.org

Related Links

• Kadoorie Earth Programme (KEP) is an initiative co-created by KFBG and its network of collaborators and volunteers. By integrating the various strands of KFBG’s nature conservation, sustainable living and holistic education programmes, it provides life-transforming learning experiences that reconnect people with themselves, each other and the rest of nature and enable them to cultivate resilience in the face of global challenges.

• Nature Art Programmes: Immerse yourself in silent contemplation of nature. Deepen your awareness of beauty and connect with nature through art. KFBG organises a variety of art workshops, including Zentangle drawing, sketching and wood art, and exhibitions to guide participants, with or without artistic background, to create nature art.

• Nature Education Programmes: Become animal detectives and explore the mysteries of wild animals. Use different senses to discover the beauty of plants. Learn about the significance of forests, trees and even soils through field visits, experiments and woodwork, to reconnect with nature.
  
  
• Group Guided Tours: Led by trained environmental interpreters, the content includes experiential and hands-on activities. We encourage a passion for nature, conservation and ecology by nurturing an appreciation of the natural world.