Chipped beauty: visit the 'broken porcelain bowl lady' in Chinatown KL

'The Lady' sculpture and textile installation at Kwai Chai Hong in Kuala Lumpur pays tribute to the classic 'Wan Shou Wu Jiang' porcelain design. Photo: Javier Chor

There is no place at the dining table for chipped plates or bowls, as many consider it an omen of misfortune and conflict. Such broken pieces usually head straight for the trash bin.

But one artist has decided to create something new out of the old.

Using hundreds of porcelain pieces, Alice Chang has made a sculpture, called The Lady, that now sits pretty along the pathway between Lorong Panggung and Jalan Petaling in Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur.

Chang with her sculpture 'The Lady' at Kwai Chai Hong. Photo: Javier Chor

“There is so much memory behind these plates that it breaks my heart to see them thrown away. Now I can give it a new purpose; an art-piece that people can appreciate for a long time, ” says Chang.

The Lady is complemented by an installation that references a traditional fabric-dye factory setup, with brightly-coloured textile hanging over bamboo stilts to dry.

Produced in collaboration with Epson Malaysia, this fabric-dye installation celebrates the traditional crafts and innovative efforts to transform them into the art of today.

Together, these two components draw from the theme of Everlasting Beauty, and pay tribute to the classic 'Wan Shou Wu Jiang' porcelain design many Chinese families grew up with, with inspiration from the popular Chinese floral design Bao Xiang Hua.

This Everlasting Beauty art installation at Kwai Chai Hong is the latest addition to the restoration project that covers 10 shophouses and the laneway running between Lorong Panggung and Jalan Petaling.

Fabric installation at Kwai Chai Hong in KL inspired by the popular Chinese floral design Bao Xiang Hua on 'Wan Shou Wu' Jiang porcelain. Photo: Javier Chor

“Kwai Chai Hong serves as more than just an attraction spot. We challenge ourselves to recreate the wonders of Chinese culture and heritage and in that process, we strive to bring the best experiences to our visitors near and far, ” says Zeen Chang, managing partner of Bai Chuan Management, which oversees the Kwai Chai Hong arts project.

Previous art installations and activities at Kwai Chai Hong include Flying Dragon for Chinese New Year, and Hops And Dreams for the mid-Autumn Festival last year.

The Everlasting Beauty art installation can be viewed until May 2.

Kwai Chai Hong is open to the public daily (9am to midnight), with strict public health and safety SOPs observed within the vicinity.