What wood could do: art students upcycle Hong Kong’s fallen trees into unique sculptures
- Rise in extreme weather due to climate change is toppling more trees – but artists at Chinese University are ensuring they do not go to waste
Chun Ching-sum, a third-year fine arts student, has crafted a snail using upcycled Taiwanese acacia trees. Photo: Handout
Two months after a Taiwanese acacia tree fell during a rainstorm, it was split into logs – with each end sealed using wax and white acrylic paint.
While these logs still need time to dry, older ones are being transformed by art students at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) into sculptures, such as a muntjac deer symbolising nature’s sublimity and a snail representing the burden of one’s family.
Teaching the sculpture class is Margaret Chu Cheuk-wai, a part-time lecturer at CUHK’s department of fine arts. Her goal is to inspire students to upcycle discarded materials and unleash their creative potential.
“Even rugged pieces of wood can be transformed into great artworks with your creativity,” she said. “We hope to enhance students’ ability to observe society and, in turn, create their own works.”
She added that the department started collecting fallen trees many years ago to be used by students enrolled in the sculpture class, which accepts no more than 15 students each year.
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Why should we upcycle fallen trees?
Facing more extreme weather as a result of climate change, Hong Kong recorded three times more fallen trees last year than it did in 2022.
In 2018, after Typhoon Mangkhut slammed into the city, authorities removed 31,158 trees. Last year, the government removed 7,200 trees following Super Typhoon Saola.
Taiwanese acacia is a common tree in Hong Kong and typically has a lifespan of around 50 to 60 years. However, those planted on urban slopes decades ago to prevent landslides have now aged, posing potential safety risks as they are more prone to falling in extreme weather.
CUHK’s waste wood comes from trees on its campus, as well as the local art community and Y Park, a yard waste recycling facility in Tuen Mun.
Most of these logs are from acacia trees, according to technician Henry Chang Yue-lam, who has been collecting the school’s waste wood for about two years. Known for its hardness, this wood is suitable for simpler designs, while softer woods like camphor and teak allow for more intricate detailing.
“Compared to materials like metal and cement, wood is organic and warm,” said Chang, who received his master’s degree in fine arts from CUHK in 2020.
The wood used for sculptures needs at least a year to dry. Chang applies paint and wax to seal in moisture and prevent cracking as the wood dries.
An exhibition of wood’s art potential
This year’s CUHK annual graduation exhibition featured artwork using this upcycled wood. Anni Tam Sze-yan, who is in her fourth year studying fine arts, created a wooden sculpture titled Chasing Elf, which was inspired by a rare encounter in Tai Po.
“It was a whimsical moment when I spotted a deer-like animal in Hong Kong,” Tam recalled. “Upon researching, I discovered there aren’t many muntjacs [here]. That’s why I chose to depict it lying down, symbolising a state close to death.”
The student, whose sculpture consists of three pieces of wood stitched together, added that her goal was to use wood to explore “the essence of life”.
“I felt that even after being cut – unlike humans and animals that decay after death – wood can endure in a perpetual state,” she said.
Chun Ching-sum, a third-year fine arts student, crafted a snail from discarded wood and integrated multimedia elements into her artwork, titled Home. She filmed herself carrying the snail sculpture on her back, representing the burden she experienced at home.
“The video illustrates a snail’s slow crawl across the ground, symbolising the challenges and exhaustion experienced by carers at home,” she said.
“Since snails cannot leave their shells, which both protect them and serve as their homes, it represents the paradoxical feelings I experience at home – a mix of love and hate.”
The student highlighted how Hong Kong’s younger generation was becoming more aware of the environmental importance of trees.
Besides this course at CUHK, Hong Kong has seen the rise of other environmental initiatives dedicated to recycling fallen trees. For example, HK Timberbank trains young carpenters in crafting furniture and other products using upcycled waste wood.
“There are more young people now involved in making wooden furniture and crafts. It’s valuable and encouraging,” Chu said.