刺繡可以像畫畫，那裡要有一筆，便繡一針，每次刺繡工作坊，我都會用 Love! 來教學，正因當中包含了5個 基本針步 —— 回針畫線、飛鳥繡勾、鎖鏈繡圈、打結做點，中文英文字也如是。
由一句「你最近過得好嗎？」，寫著寫著，「你爸其實很愛你的⋯⋯」，為面對面説不出口的話提供了出口。
咖喱魚蛋、維他奶，意味著彼此的回憶，共通的生活文化。
長在祖屋裡的榕樹，沒有見過，但爸爸對故鄉的珍重潛移默化地印在腦海。
移英村民宋玉錢先生借唐李白《望木瓜山》想起面向梧桐山的谷埔，懷念黃昏時飛回來的白鷺鳥群，在外打工時思鄉的心酸。
這些都是我走訪英國伯明翰、倫敦、和香港，連繫「慢針黹牧民」，把港人懸浮在半空的思念化成文字，用針線串連起來，讓我們彼此的掛念凝在這只剩一人留守居住的村落 —— 谷埔。
Embroidery is like painting; each stroke translates into a stitch. In my workshops, I often invite participants to sew the word “LOVE!”. This exercise incorporates fundamental embroidery techniques, including backstitch for outline, fly stitch for v-shape, chain stitch for a loop, knots for dots, either on Chinese or English.
A simple question like, “How have you been lately?” can evolve into deeper sentiments, such as, “Your father truly loves you…” This provides an outlet for feelings that are often difficult to express face-to-face.
Curry fish balls and Vitasoy embody our shared memories and cultural connections.
“The banyan tree in my ancestral home is something I’ve never seen, yet my father’s appreciation for our hometown has quietly shaped my memories.”
Mr. Sung Yukchin, now living in the UK, resonates with Li Bai’s poem, Looking at the Papaya Mountain. It brings to mind Kuk Po, with its view of Wutong Mountain, where he used to watch egrets flocking back at dusk. This vivid memory heightens his homesickness as he navigates life away from home.
These reflections stem from my visits to Birmingham, London, and Hong Kong, connecting with the “Slow Stitch Nomad.” I transform the floating memories of Hong Kong people into words, stitching them together, allowing our shared sentiments to crystallize in Kuk Po—a village where only one remains.
移民潮，是香港的源起，也似是香港的宿命，但其實在Sam Miller 的著作 “Migrants” The Story of Is All 的序言説:「從根本上來說，人類是一種遷徙物種，更甚於其他陸地上的哺乳動物。在我們存在的大部分時間裡，我們都是遊牧民族，當中有些人仍然如此。房屋和永久定居點是一個相對較晚的發展——可以追溯到一萬二千年前。邊界和護照是近代才出現的。」
邊界把親友分隔，沒有互聯網的時代，人們要靠書信聯繫，短短的字句，筆劃的力度，或許比現在的隨時隨地，更深刻和珍貴。
這次為「谷埔重聚」策展，也重聚了我們 —— 香港人，令我加深了故鄉的定義，對我來說有值得記掛的人或回憶便是故鄉，「思念在半空」也可形成載體，令人實在。
The wave of migration is both the origin and destiny of Hong Kong. As Sam Miller notes in the preface of his book Migrants: The Story of Us All, “Humans are, in fundamental ways, a migratory species, more so than any other land mammal. For most of our existence, we were all nomads, and some of us still are. Houses and permanent settlements are a relatively late development—dating back little more than twelve thousand years. Borders and passports are even newer.”
Borders separate friends and family. In a time before the internet, people relied on letters for connection. A few simple words and the strength of the strokes were perhaps more profound and precious than today’s constant connectivity.
Curating “Kuk Po Get Together” has brought us—Hong Kongers—together and deepened my understanding of home. For me, home is defined by cherished people and memories. “Miss You in the Air” can also take form, making those feelings tangible.
你有多久沒執筆寫信？你會挑那件舊衣物來作你的信紙嗎？ 還是手帕、校服，或睡衣？
「小時候我常穿這種款式的打底杉，但這件是沒穿過的，是我第一次去英國之前我媽媽買給我的，不過現在我已經很少穿了！」留學英國的Anson説。而另一位參加者馮先生就用孫兒的舊衣來懷緬谷埔的啟才學校。
針黹對Billy 來説是技能解鎖，也勾起他嫲嫲為他修補衣物的回憶，提醒他這構建我們日常生活的工藝是很值得探索和傳承；Anson在針線上落之間，很意外自己想起媽媽曾告訴她曾祖父是以造衣養家，喚起對撫養她長大的外婆的思念，同時也令她認識曾祖父多一點。
每封衣物信件，是個人的，也與集體的共感交織在一起，透過刺繡，記錄此時此刻難以遺忘的情懷；以衣物為載體，針線作連結。
How long has it been since you wrote a letter? Would you choose that old piece of clothing as your letterhead? Perhaps a handkerchief, school uniform, or pajamas?
“I used to wear this style of undershirt as a kid, but this one is brand new. My mom bought it for me before my first trip to the UK, but I hardly wear that style anymore!” says Anson, who is studying in the UK. Another participant, Mr. Fung uses his grandson’s old clothes to reminisce about Kuk Po’s Kai Choi School.
For Billy, stitching is a skill unlocked, evoking memories of his grandma mending clothes for him. It reminds him that this craft, which shapes our daily lives, is worth exploring and passing on. While stitching, Anson unexpectedly recalls her mom telling her that her great-grandfather supported the family by making clothes, stirring memories of the grandmother who raised her and deepening her connection to her heritage.
Each stitched piece of clothing is personal yet intertwined with collective emotions. Through embroidery, we capture the unforgettable sentiments of this moment, using fabric as a medium and thread as the connection.
