STREEThing

Thanks to the peeps from H5 and Zinc Art Gallery, Streething had the opportunity to catch up with Michael Lau for a quick Q&A when he was down in KL for the MINDstyle LIFEstyle exhibition’s opening night. Hit the jump to check out what Hong Kong’s “Godfather of Vinyl Figures” had to say.

Log on to the Streething Facebook Fan Page for more pictures of the Opening night.

Hi Michael, pleasure to meet you. Firstly, what can you share with our readers regarding the 10th anniversary of Gardener as well as your recent exhibition in Los Angeles?

Well Gardener has already been 10 years old and during this course of time, we had many exhibitions all around the world including Europe, Japan and Taiwan, just to name a few. For the 10th anniversary celebrations, we’ve recently caught up with MINDStyle for an exhibition in Los Angeles which was quite interesting because the concept of Gardener originated from the west side. The fans over there are quite amusing because each of them had their own characteristics and they find Gardener to be very fresh although it has already been 10 years old. What I remembered the most was the launch of the Michael Lau x Nike SB Stefan Janoski shoe which many people turned out for. They had to do a balloting system due to the limited quantities and I was invited on stage to do the draw for it.

Since Gardener is quite new to the younger generation, what can you tell them about it?

Well it all started with the global street culture phenomenon which is quite fascinating because it actually portrays a character on its own. Besides looking stylish, the people in the community has its own language, music, art, and sports. To me it feels they’re all in a circle, a garden, and that’s how the name Gardener came by. And of course, I was really fond of the street culture back then when I was younger. For example, I like how the way people in it are portraying a fierce look with a fully-tattooed body but actually they’re good and kind hearted people on the inside. And what even more special is that this typical culture is happening all around the world which actually inspired me and got me started to create Gardener.

Could you tell us more about this collaboration with MINDStyle on The Godfather?

Well we actually knew each other for quite a while now but never had the chance to work together. The opportunity came by when MINDStyle got the licensing for the movie, and I thought since people call me “The Godfather of vinyl figures”, let’s work something out. I personally like the movie itself and I’m a big fan of Marlon Brando because he carries strong features and characteristics, and when it comes to making figures and art, I’d prefer doing it with these features rather than doing something pretty looking which all looks the same and has no meaning to it.

So after 10 years since its establishment, will Gardener grow along with the changing times?

First of I think Gardener is more like something for me to record down the street culture generation back in the days. If you do notice, the clothing and shoes on the Gardener figures are actually things that particular generation wears back in the days and are seldom seen nowadays. I think these features are all well worth preserving. I do make changes which can be seen through my other work but Gardener will remain the same as it is.

Then what do you notice changing in this circle of pop art and street culture?

As you know there is a hype cycle and in it, things tend to die down after reaching its peak. During the boom in this course of 10 years, many artists including myself came to surface and for those who were able to stand the test of time remained until today. What I notice is that people nowadays are starting to get bored of what we do and are searching for something new and fresh from the emerging younger generations.

Michael Lau has collaborated with many brands. Which collaboration do you think is the most interesting one?

It all sums back to Nike since I’ve done so many collaborations with them. All the while they always respect the artists they work with and has been very supportive of my work since the beginning. We know its starting to make things boring for all our fans to see so many Michael Lau x Nike now and then but since they’re one of the big brands around, we were able to work out many major projects. And to me it all depends on this whether the crossover turns out interesting or not. And I think the most interesting collabs I’ve done so far would be the Total 90 exhibition in which we introduced the “Mr. Ball and Bigfoot” figures as well as the Mr. Shoe exhibition at the 798 art district in Beijing. These two were quite fun.

Would you like to share with our readers any brands you are interested to work with in the future?

Previously when I was younger, I really thought of working with a lot of ideal brands. But for now, I’d prefer to focus on my own work because I realised I’ve spent too much time in working for other brands and neglecting my own. I’ve also been getting alot of comments from fans lately who are asking about my own new project.

Michael you’re considered a pioneer in creating vinyl figures, could you share with us on why did you chose to use vinyl at the first place?

Honestly I’ve never thought about this before but I personally like the texture of it. It reminds me of the rubber ducks that kids play with so I think its more like a younger generation stuff. Also, back then when 12″ figures were too expensive for people to buy and that influenced me to use vinyl so it could be more affordable to everyone. Coincidentally a friend of mine was working on the vinyl material back then when I was designing my first Gardener figure so we hooked up and that’s how it actually got started.

Any plans to re-issue the 12″ figures?

Yes we do. Since times have changed, 12″ figures are getting more and more affordable to both fans and collectors alike. But everything is still under the planning process. We’re actually packing a surprise to all our fans next year so do stay tuned with us.

Where are you planning for more exhibitions next?

Well for this year we’ll be more focusing on Gardener since it is their 10th anniversary. But for the near future we’ll be looking at places like China and Korea as there are suitable environment for people to know more about Gardener. We’re also looking at one more back home in Hong Kong since its where it all started.

Last but not least, Michael what is your impression towards Kuala Lumpur?

Well I’m really happy and grateful to be here in this lovely town, and the exhibition gallery here is so great and convenient. To me a place like this is almost like a dream because  back in Hong Kong, it is nearly impossible to find a place like that due to the lack of land and the sky high rental. If there are more opportunities and supporters then we’re definitely looking forward to do more stuffs and events here. Oh, not forgetting the food, they definitely deserve a shout out.

Thanks Michael, nice meeting you and we hope to see you again soon.

Log on here for more information on Michael Lau. The MINDstyle LIFEstyle Art Exhibition will run until December 19th at the Zinc Art Space, Lot 61 Jalan Maarof, Bangsar, 59000 Kuala Lumpur.