NOVELLE WA

“In the tone of tea” is a series of analogue photographs that explore Gong Fu tea culture in Swatow. Growing up in a Chaoshan family where Gong Fu tea is a daily ritual after every meal and during social gatherings, the visual artist infuses her deep appreciation for this tea ceremony to her works. Wandering through the streets of Swatow, she captures the traces of Gong Fu tea - usually a chair, a folding table, a set of tea utensils, and a kettle, permeating every corner of the city, from inside and outside of homes and shops to winding lanes and alleys. This strongly states the indispensable role of Gong Fu tea in their daily lives. Such integration of tea culture with the streets is rare in elsewhere in the world.

 

A majority of the making processes revolve around tea, from photographing to paper-making and toning. Printed on Awagami paper pulps that soaked in Dan Cong tea leaves, a tea that commonly consumed in Swatow, each photograph establishes a profound connection to the world of Gong Fu tea.