Furnishings—a Richly Creative Niche Industry

Makers imbue products with the flavor of Taiwanese art

Taiwan's creative and cultural industry has flourished over the past few years, partly because of vigorous promotion by the government, which wants to develop the industry as a “soft power” tool for boosting the island's economic growth. Culture and creation encompasses a very wide range, including furnishings.

The 2010 Taiwan International Cultural Creation Expo, held by the Council for Cultural Affairs on Nov. 11-14 in Taipei, was composed of seven pavilions; two of them, life art and life design, focused on furnishings and daily-use items.

One of the exhibitors, Franz, displayed a wide collection of porcelain items, each rich in cultural content and ideal for use in interior decoration. A reddish floral vase was especially eye-catching, with 3D porcelain flowers on its surface. “The tone of the classic red color looks very oriental,” said a company representative. “It's a good choice for generating an ambiance of prosperity and bliss.”

Franz was founded in 2001 by Franz Chen, who has produced porcelain gifts for over three decades. His brand is “Franz,” the meaning of which he defines as “being freely creative without restrictions.” Chen's dream is to develop “Franz” into Taiwan's leading porcelain trademark, and give it an image of rich cultural content and creativity.

Artistic Tiles
Talesbypave, another of Taiwan's creative/cultural companies, was established in 2004 with the aim of transforming ceramic tiles into artistic pieces and enriching them with Chinese cultural features like calligraphy, painting, poetry, and carving art. The company now has a worldwide sales network of over 1,000 outlets in more than 30 countries.

From the outset the company set for itself a clear strategy of marketing its artistic ceramic items under its own brand name and developing a streamlined manufacturing system from product design to production, sales, and promotion. Because of that strategy, the company has turned down several OEM orders asking for the supply of products to market under the customers' brand names.

The company's founder, Tseng Kuo-yuan, comes from a rich cultural background. His parents collect and sell antiques, so the younger Tseng himself was surrounded by antique artifacts since childhood. This nurtured in him a strong appetitive for art. Many customers are surprised when they first see Talebypave's products, wondering how a common piece of tile could become such an artistic item with such a higher value-added.

Taiwanese Genre
Besides organizing trade shows as platforms for the display of products by Taiwanese creative/cultural companies, the government also arranges annual competitions to select the best companies and products. In November, the Small and Medium Enterprise Administration (SMEA) under the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) presented 2010 Business Startup Awards to 12 winners; among them were a-zhi-bao and Anewei, the two companies dedicated to the creation of handicrafts with a Taiwanese artistic style. They supply many items suitable for home decoration.

A-zhi-bao is a handicraft shop offering a wide selection of artistic items made by Taiwanese craftsmen. “Our main motive for establishing the shop was to introduce quality handicrafts bearing Taiwanese brands,” said the founder of the shop, Chen Hsiu-mei.

Most of the products sold in the store are made by experienced Taiwanese craftsmen using a wide range of materials like bamboo, ceramics, dried grass, fabrics, leather, and paper. Recently, young craftsmen have tried new materials like cement, stainless steel, driftwood, and papier-mache.

In order to ensure best quality of the items on display, Chen visits well-known handicraft workshops around the island to observe working procedures and evaluate the handicrafts in person. Each item in her store is one of a kind, but all have a common characteristic: a Taiwanese artistic style. So far, the store contains over 200 items bearing some 100 brand names.

Located in an 80-year-old wooden house in downtown Hualien City, a-zhi-bao displays a wide collection of handicrafts and gifts such as beaded decorative items, wall decorations, vases, and so on. Some are made by well-known workshops and some are provided by young craftsmen. Next to the store is an art classroom where craft lovers gather to chat and exchange views about the products and their working experiences.

A dried-grass woven piece made by Chang Hsiu-tsung presents a very delicate Taiwanese taste. Dried grass, or straw, has traditionally been used by Taiwanese farmers to make such useful items as chair cushions, pillows, and coasters.

“Made-in-Taiwan” (MIT) has become a recognized “national brand” on the international market, and a-zhi-bao brightens the MIT image with the sophisticated skill and creativity of Taiwanese craftsmen. The shop meets the needs of taste-conscious consumers for high-quality handmade items; to maintain its reputation for high-quality handicrafts, Chen selects each item in the store's collection herself.

Success in its home town of Hualien has encouraged a-zhi-bao to set up a branch store in Taipei, in the “Taipei Home” tourist area with its old buildings and ancient architecture style.

Traditional Dyeing

Anewai is another award winner. Established originally as a fabric-dyeing art research institution, Anewai has gradually developed into a highly representative traditional Taiwanese dyeing company.

The company has launched a great variety of products featuring traditional Taiwanese dyeing techniques: curtains, tablecloths, cushions, bags, etc. Its operation is centered on the concepts of “Taiwan tradition,” “Taiwan design,” and “Taiwan innovation,” combining the features of modern and traditional dyeing techniques to present a new look for the traditional dyeing art. In the eyes of Anewai Wei, company founder, there is an endless spirit of creativity available to improve Taiwanese fabric dyeing.

Anewai pursues the vision of using modern technology to introduce Taiwanese traditional art to the global market, hoping to launch new products through a creative combination of traditional art and modern technology. “We are keen to present the art and value of Taiwanese culture, and would like to use modern technology to bring out its cultural value,” said Wei. “That's an effective way to prolong a product's life cycle and create maximized economic value for each product.”

Wei also plans to develop a series of Taiwanese fabric furnishing items and souvenirs, targeted at foreign travelers on the island. To this end, the company will introduce products in a wide price range so as to appeal to as many consumer groups as possible. While continuing to operate souvenir shops at tourist spots, Anewei will expand its sales network by displaying its products in airport duty-free shops, hotels, and antique stores to provide more channels for foreign travelers to buy souvenirs that are rich in Taiwanese cultural content.

“This is not only a way to expand our business, but also an effective way to introduce Taiwanese art to foreigners,” said Wei.

Value through Functionality

For furnishing items, however, aesthetic value alone is not enough. Some products have a highly practical uses that enhance their value for interior design. The Hueijing Co., for example, has launched a line of ecologically friendly flower pots and saucers for indoor plants. “Indoor plants not only add color to our homes, but also play a vital role in heightening our quality of life,” said a company executive. Hueijing's flower pots and saucers feature recyclable materials and special functions which conserve excess water and maintain moisture inside the pots at an appropriate level.

The UFO150/300 Innovative Flower Pot Saucer, for example, has earned a patent for its innovative saucer design: it absorbs excess water, preventing the roots of potted plants from sponging too much water and becoming rotten. The water that the saucer absorbs can then be used to water the plant, thereby conserving water. Even more importantly, the saucer is kept clean and free of breeding mosquitoes and worms, thereby contributing to a clean and pleasing living environment.