This week in PostMag: Cantopop, neon art and other revived heritage
Published: 12:45pm, 15 Feb 2025 Let's jump into it. Maybe it's actually a sugar rush from all the tong yuen for the official end of Lunar New Year this week, but there's an energy in this week's issue that I find irresistible. Young people putting their own stamp on cultural heritage.
Unlike history, which, though we might apply different lenses to it, are events firmly in the past, heritage is made up of traditions and traditions are shaped by humans – humans who are ever changing and ever evolving. We first discussed the idea for this issue in one of our editorial meetings months ago, excited by some of these humans – young talent not only preserving, but transforming Hong Kong's intangible cultural heritage. We have rising Cantopop star Kiri T sitting down with Vanessa Lee to talk about how the genre and the culture surrounding it are becoming more free. Mitche Choi, who grew up performing Cantonese opera, reveals to Kate Whitehead the big plans she has for her own troupe – technology, new scripts and more – to keep the art form relevant for modern audiences. Food and drink are natural conduits for evolving cultural traditions. Maggie Hiufu Wong profiles Dennis Mak, who co-founded spirits brand Magnolia Lab to bring Cantonese herbal liqueur, and its medicinal taste, into modern mixology. Finally, Gavin Yeung discovers the work of Jive Lau, a graphic-designer-turned-neon artist who is walking the line between art and commerce in the iconic, but fast-disappearing Hong Kong tradition. Curious to see for yourself? Lau's work is currently featured in an exhibition hosted by non-profit foundation Crafts on Peel in Central, where Peta Tomlinson also finds a new crop of artisans reimagining the possibilities of rattan.
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