Visual artist UUendy Lau draws her creative inspiration from ” Memory in Spring,” the second installment of author Chan Wai’s “The Female Workers Trilogy.” She transforms elements from the story into rich and detailed visuals, skillfully depicting the evolution of local craftsmanship, community life, and female roles over several decades, from the 1950s-80s to the present day.

The three female protagonists on the three-dimensional mural represent three generations: the “grandmother, mother, and daughter.” Their shared gesture of raising their arms symbolizes their individual ambition and resilience, while also juxtaposing and connecting ideas across different eras. The grandmother, using a sewing machine, diligently supported her family through the labor of her traditional textile skills. The mother, holding a book and dressed in a business suit, alludes to the phenomenon in the early 1980s of more women receiving education and pursuing social equality. Finally, the daughter, holding the same floral pajamas that her grandmother is sewing, represents the new generation’s reflection on local craftsmanship and cultural heritage.

The ” Kapok flower ” is another central motif in the mural’s composition. Having stood quietly as a guardian across the city, the Kapok flower has silently witnessed the community’s transformations, reminding us of our various connections to the district and to nature. The illustration cleverly weaves traditional textile tools (like threaders and weaving shuttles) with iconic objects from different decades (such as cassette tapes, televisions, and mobile phones) into the urban landscape. This serves to reflect the city’s industrial and social history through the parallel evolution of textile technology and everyday life.

The three-dimensional Kapok flowers at both ends of the installation were woven by the textile art collective Breakthrough Arts Studio, based on the main illustration’s composition, with local Tsuen Wan residents invited to participate in their creation. The wall installation aims to extend the local textile narrative into a three-dimensional space, welcoming the public to take a closer look at these glimpses of past life and discover more interesting details.

In addition, UUendy Lau (UU) has designed a 12-month embroidery postcard series. Available for redemption at the customer service counter, each month’s postcard features a female character and a weaving tool from the mural. The cards are pre-punched with small holes, making it easy for the audience to create their own personalized embroidery, and in turn, allowing the art installation to continue generating more collective stories.

The Weaving Wall — Memory in Spring
Address: The Park, 3/F Rooftop, The Mills, 45 Pak Tin Par Street, Tsuen Wan