Exhibition makes trunk call to times past

Au Hoi Lam (L) and Sarah Tse

Tse studied fine arts at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University. She has exhibited in solo and group exhibitions across greater China and Australia.

For Time Traveler, she placed a number of her fragile white ceramic casts of old objects around props she found through a friend's family home.

"They were selling off their furniture," Tse recalls. "Old items such as an antique Singer sewing machine, wooden rocking chair and vanity table with beveled mirror. I imagined the stories behind these items."

She created various scenarios placing her ceramic pieces around the furniture and accessories to evoke a nostalgic portrait of the past. Teddy bears, nightgowns, lace valentine from the 1950s and notepads were all fired, transforming their forms into hard and solid objects yet deceptively retaining their fragile appearance.

"The trunks and teddy bears were from my own personal collection," Tse says. "The towel bear was made from a friend's towel that was used like a security blanket. It was completely immersed in that person's scent."

Au studied fine arts and philosophy at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. She has participated in group and solo exhibitions across China as well as in South Korea and Italy.