Time flies, it has already been 15 years since I arrived in Melbourne-that's almost half of my life! My practice is already in its eighth year, having grown from just the three of us to now fifteen all up, time flies indeed. I have never written 'home', because Melbourne is now my home. I think there must be something Asian/Chinese about me (apart from my accent) and my works - but consciously? I cannot see it at all. I came, I studied architecture in Melbourne, so my technical background is completely western (or rather, Australian). But having spent my 18 years, the so-called formative years of one's life, in Hong Kong and Singapore, I can't say that the Asian-ness in me is not there. Growing up in Hong Kong as a child, my family of four lived in a 48 square metre housing unit, it was very cramped, but everyone around us lived like that, it was ok, and that's how I understand tightness and efficiency. We often visited an expat colleague of my father who lived in Half Peak, his house was this beautiful two storey black modernist house, with a huge rooftop balcony overlooking Victoria Harbour and he threw the most magnificent evening parties on this balcony. His wife collected some of the most exquisite paintings and sculptures I have ever seen - I just loved their house and that's how I learnt about space, textuTe and luxury.
展开▼
